Did you know that in a recent national survey 66% of high school senior boys and 61% of girls indicated that they “agreed” or “mostly agreed” with this statement: “it is usually a good idea for a couple to live together before getting married in order to find out whether they really get along.”
What a crazy statistic considering this quote from Rutgers University: “It is hard to believe that across America, only 30 years ago, living together for unmarried heterosexual couples was against the law.” Did you even know that?
The truth is that living together (or cohabiting…meaning “co” – with, and “habit” – live) does NOT help to prepare you for marriage or decrease your chance of divorce. In fact, it does the complete opposite, your risk for divorce increases by 46%!
Here are some other harmful affects of living together before marriage:
- Increased risk of domestic violence for women, and the risk of physical and sexual abuse for children
- Increased risk of depression (by 3 times!)
- Lowered levels of happiness and wellbeing than married couples
If you value yourself and your future marriage, head the research and WAIT until marriage to live with your significant other. Take this as your “Caution” sign on the road of life.
To read more: http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/swlt2.pdf
1 comment:
A "Test Drive" is one thing. But making the payments out of the payment book is another!
Most folks living together keep seperate checking accounts. What is yours is yours, and what is mine, is mine.
That works in a cohabitation, but not in a marriage where ALL of the funds are OURS.
Well, if you plan to one day split, keeping track and separate funds will hasten the day.
But if you are together forever, you know...like in those vows you say, all the finances that come in will be together forever.
Fewer arguments on money right off the bat.
The sun does not take a test rise before climbing the sky. The sun will rise, every day, forever.
Do you test drive a dinner, a bottle of beer, a new dessert? Or do you enjoy the total?
We deceive ourselves when we pretend that cohabiting is leading to a marriage.
Marriage is to be enduring and lasting. There is no way to practice anything meant to be in the column of forever.
Indeed, practice gives pull away, to avoid the everlasting....it's just practice, eh?
Your work is cut out for you WC2ed, for we have been brined in falsehood on this issue.
Statistics are hard to overwhelm hormones. It is now the "norm" to bed before wed. A lot of people have Test Driven your spouse before you these days. And, both you and they think upon those others during your "forever" marriage.
Someone else is in the room.....forever, due to cohabs being the norm.
Would you use a Kleenex that someone Test drove and blew their nose into?
Easy call.
If you reach one soul in this town with truth, the entire post is worth it.
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