Are there any benefits to a man to get married?

[Luke]

Uh... what about the woman agreeing to give the man half of everything she owns?

Also I do not plan on getting married but do plan on staying with the person I'm currently with forever. Marriage holds to many connotations of the women being given to the man we feel.

To your first point: Exactly.

To your second point: Get married. It's like a birthday party where people give you HUGE amounts of cash instead of gift cards.

[Inazuma]

Hah, maybe the other question you could ask is what is one good thing about a woman getting married? Then maybe you'd find an answer...

-It places you in a role in society, it's a formal ceremonious statement of commitment, it keeps your kids from being referred to literally as "little bastards," it proves to other family members your commitment so they can stop assuming you are nothing but horndogs, makes the traditional mothers happy, it's one day out of the year where you are allowed to be a sappy and ostentatious about love and the future, it's a symbol of old tradition that relates to good tidings for health and progress, tax breaks, to place faith in another person and have it witnessed, to represent something better than yourselves, a psychological trial to allow for the transitioning of one lifestyle into the next....

So it's easy to see how all that can be corrupted.

Now even if you break all that down to say it can be done without a marriage, then you'd have to say to replace marriage with something else... and it's simpler to just go ahead with marriage. You wanna get creative? Go for it. I hear lots of Pagans go through rituals to symbolize their love AND stick it to the man.

I agree there are benefits for women to get married. This is about men.

Almost every reason you said is based on society's messed up view of marriage. Just because many people think flushing money down the toilet is good, doesn't mean it really is. The fact is, you can be in a committed relationship without having signed the marriage contract. It's just a piece of paper. You don't need it.

Women will continue to say we should get married since it benefits them. If you want to blindly do whatever you are told, you are free to do so. Hopefully no one tells you to stop playing video games, right? That would suck. It sure would be nice if we could think for ourselves, hmm...

The only reason you gave that's worth something is the tax breaks. It's true there are tax breaks involved, which is a good thing to men. However, if you look at the big picture, you will lose money overall, which negates the tax break benefits. So if you are trying to tell me that men should get married for money, you are just wrong. That's exactly why I'm saying they shouldn't. They will lose more money than they gain.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I don't want to get married, not because I never will want a commitment or because I can't love, but because if something happens, I want to keep my stuff.

You get married so you can get divorced later on.

[fast]

Depending on your beliefs, there are many benefits to the man in marriage. Christians believe the souls of the two become ordained by God. Sikhs believe that the two become one and the officiating guru will guide them to god. Some followers of Shinto believe it is the highest honor they can give to the sun goddess. All of these can be considered high honors and the only way to proceed with ones life.

I will stop here because much religion talk will only escalate this.

[General Chaos]

The only reason you gave that's worth something is the tax breaks. It's true there are tax breaks involved, which is a good thing to men. However, if you look at the big picture, you will lose money overall, which negates the tax break benefits. So if you are trying to tell me that men should get married for money, you are just wrong. That's exactly why I'm saying they shouldn't. They will lose more money than they gain.

You will lose money overall? Having a combined household income usually helps people out quite a bit (assuming one party doesn't have large amount of debt). I realize you can combine household incomes outside of marriage as well, but to suggest that you lose money might be a bit of a stretch.

[wilsona26]

I understand what you are saying about marriage. There are a few things about it though. Pros and Cons if you wanna call it that. On the good side, a Husband or Wife is someone who should be there for you to fall back on when things seem overwhelming. Kinda like a buddy in the multiplayer game of life. Its a coop mode kinda, and they cant dc or logoff cause it costs a shit-ton of money in some cases to get a divorce. My wife is there when I need someone who may not always agree with me, but she is always on my side through thick and thin. Now a con I can think of off the top of my head is the monogamous part. Unless you got a swinger/open marriage, you best settle in for the same person for awhile. No more strange after the vows, unless like above, you agree to have multiples. A team tap concept if you will. Then of course there is an example most of my sailors love to go with. They like a comitted relationship, but never get married. Thats fine and dandy, but you miss the tax breaks, like the other person said your kids are "bastards" (never really liked that term), and if you dont split fast enough, common law marriage rules will get you. I think its a wonderful institution, but its definitely not for everyone. Just do what you want to, and if she bothers you to get married, she sucks. She should love you or whatever and let you make your decision in your own time.

[corn619]

I get laided more often.

[Inazuma]

Not to get off topic, and not trying to insult, but how old are you?

It doesn't matter at all but OK. I'm 27.

I think it matters a lot, actually. This question would take on a completely different meaning if it was coming from a 12 year old.

I got married this March to a girl I've been dating since undergrad. So although I'm probably still considered a newlywed, I have some experience on the subject, and the majority of my friends are either married or engaged. Plus, my Grandparents were married for over 67 years and my Parents are still very happily married to boot.

Marriage isn't about love at all. Sure, many people believe it is, but in reality it's just a legal contract where the man agrees to give the woman half of everything he owns.

Where are you getting your information from? That statement is incorrect and makes no sense whatsoever. Marriage is not about a man giving a woman half of what he owes, and I have no idea where you got that from, unless one of your friends or loved ones told that nonsense.

And as far as people getting married because they are afraid their loved one will leave them, well...Their loved one will leave them. That's not why you get married, that's a reason you get divorced.

You forgot to tell us the benefit for you to get married. Even if you are lucky enough to beat the odds and have a long, happy marriage, what have you gained specifically from the marriage? I think you are confusing this with being in a loving relationship. I'm not saying that all relationships are bad for men. I am asking for a reason why marriage itself is beneficial to men, as opposed to being in the same relationship without the marriage contract present.

If you were hungry for a tasty sandwich, and happened to have one in your fridge at home, would you attempt to drive across very dangerous roads to buy the exact same sandwich from the store?

[General Chaos]

If you were hungry for a tasty sandwich, and happened to have one in your fridge at home, would you attempt to drive across very dangerous roads to buy the exact same sandwich from the store?

Depends on your sense of adventure. Maybe the sandwich will taste better because of the strife you've gone through to get it.

[vejita]

OMIGOD

people are not FOOD, and women are not cows or milk or whatever....

I used to be like you, I used to think marriage was pointless, that I didn't have to prove anything to anybody and could just live my life with a person or not and see what happens, that it was a waste in case we separated- then I realized that I was just afraid of the connotations that marriage has. It's about SHOWING the leap you are taking in faith of yourself and another person, and on top of that some sort of religious connection. Yes, in order for a legal marriage to be legal it must meet certain requirements, but is that so bad? Is it so bad to be recognized in society in ANY format that you are married to someone? Now as a girl I'd like to keep my last name because that tradition is rather old and out of place, but mostly because I LIKE my last name...but that's another topic...

Notice one of the things I mentioned, about representing a transition from one lifestyle to the next... that's a source for some fear as well. I'm not saying that it is NECESSARY for everyone, but that is a GOOD thing to go through- the ceremonial transition- even if it costs money or time or it makes you look like a fool. If you care more about all that then you shouldn't get married at all. Why do you care so much, anyway?