The top marriage myths debunked
Bradford Wilcox, a US academic at the University of Virginia with expertise in marriage and family issues, has an article at The Atlantic entitled Unequal, Unfair, and Unhappy: The 3 Biggest Myths About Marriage Today. He argues that, contrary to popular opinion, most married couples with children are satisfied with their relationships.
…for most married men and women today, marriage looks pretty good…it is basically equal, fair, and happy. And that’s the real and often unreported good news about marriage in America today.
It is concerning that there are so many unfounded views in Western societies on marriage. Australian politician Kevin Andrews, in his very well-researched and comprehensive book on marriage , dealt with 7 common myths on marriage. They include: that there is a 50 per cent risk of divorce; that it is preferable to marry later in life; that marital satisfaction necessarily declines over time; that a ‘good divorce’ is always beneficial for children; and that fathers are dispensable (incidentally, Bradford Wilcox also has a piece today at The New York Times arguing that fathers are not fungible).
Of course, no one is saying that marriage is a perfect institution. But for the sake of future generations, it is important that common ideas about marriage are at least grounded in reality.
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