Divorce rates are at an all-time high and yet people are still falling for the marriage trap. I don’t get it. Maybe I’m cynical, but if you’re just going to end up splitting, what’s the point of buying into the whole “holy matrimony” thing to begin with? If you ask me, it’s just not worth the risk.
- There’s a 50/50 chance that it’ll happen. Did you know that the divorce rate for American couples is currently at 50%… and rising? That means out of ALL the people getting married today, about half of them will end in a divorce. Those are really crappy odds if you ask me. Why waste the time and money?
- Divorce is a huge cause of nervous breakdowns. Every adult I know who’s gotten divorced ends up totally losing it later on in life. It was probably one of the most traumatic events they’ve ever experienced that completely changed the way they saw the world. If you think about it, a divorce isn’t just “breaking up,” it’s losing everything you’ve built together whether that’s a house, a dog, a family, a business. There are so many things that can get taken away than just the relationship and it can often be impossible to get over it.
- It not only hurts you but the people around you. A divorce is absolutely devastating for the two people involved, but don’t forget about everyone else you’ll be letting down. Your kids (if you have them), your parents (my grandparents still give my dad flack for divorcing my mom and it’s been over 10 years), your friends (picking sides is never fun)… you get the point.
- It’s pretty embarrassing. There’s so much shame when it comes to divorce because not only is it a “breakup”, it’s also showing the world that you couldn’t stay true to your vows. You made a promise to each other but weren’t strong enough to stick to your guns and that’s a very deep level of shame right there. Nothing is worse than being considered a liar.
- “Breaking up” sounds a lot nicer than getting a divorce. Wouldn’t you rather tell people you broke up rather than got a divorce? It just has a nicer ring to it. When you break up, it still feels like there’s hope for your future and that you’ll bounce back. When you tell people you got a divorce, it just sounds sad. It sounds like your life is coming to an end, all because you signed a paper saying that you were married. I personally don’t think it’s worth it.
- You shouldn’t get married just because you’re in love. People who get hitched just because they feel like they should usually end up on a fast track to divorce. Yes, marriage should feel right, but it should also make practical sense. There should be other reasons you’re getting together besides pure love, otherwise, your lifestyles are going to clash and you’re going to start hating each other (just like my parents did). My mom and dad had crazy chemistry but were complete and total opposites and didn’t agree with the way the other lived their life. Surprise, surprise…it ended in divorce.
- Most people aren’t mature enough to get married. A good portion of those 50% of divorces are probably people who aren’t up to the task of being part of a married couple. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of getting married is a really attractive concept—being together forever, having a wedding, finding your soulmate… But how many people are actually willing to put in the time and effort to make a marriage work? Not many. I know that I wouldn’t handle marriage well, so I’m not even going to go there. It’s called being responsible for myself and my future.
- Getting a divorce is almost too easy to do. My friend recently got married and she’s already “joking” about divorce. If people my age are able to joke about something as serious as divorce, how seriously are they even taking their marriage? It’s like we have it in the back of our minds that we can always pull the plug if we need to.
- It’s only going to become more and more common. Divorce is already at 50% and with my generation starting to get hitched, it’s only going to increase. People will either get divorced more often or won’t get married at all out of fear of it happening. The majority of my friends’ parents are divorced and if they’re not, it’s a huge surprise. My generation’s parents paved the way for us and it’s only gonna get worst from here.
- You could lose a lot of money in the process. Divorces are expensive. The average fee to get divorced is $1500, but depending on whether or not you need to have a trial for the custody of the children or the ownership of your property it can go all the way up to $200,000. Not to mention all the money you’ll spend on moving out, finding a new house, paying child support etc… Sounds super messy. Why even go there?
