Why is the divorce rate in the US so high? Does selfishness have anything to do

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   RickBurnettposted 13 years ago

   Why is the divorce rate in the US so high? Does selfishness have anything to do with it?

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   Tusitala Tomposted 13 years ago

   I'm making an assumption here, that I'm assuming divorce rates in the U.S. are roughly the same as in Australia - I think they are: around 50%.
   
   In Australia divorce laws were changed sometime back and the rate sky-rocketed.  That was because before the laws were changed it had to be proven that one party had provoked the partner into it, say, by infidelity.   It was tough; private eyes, getting photos, all that kind of stuff having to be proven in a law court.   When the law changed, 'incompatibility' was enough and, let's face it, IT IS ENOUGH.
   
   No, I'm not a divorcee.   Been married for over fifty years to the same woman; have three kids and four grand kids.    But I can understand how life could be a living hell married to someone who beat you, or made you miserable just being alive.
   
   No, I don't think selfishness had a lot to do with divorce.  Even the closest of people can grow away form each other.   It takes constant application, being aware, making an effort, to hang in there for the long haul.   It is, in reality, an ongoing choice.

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   Always Greenerposted 13 years ago

   I think that maybe people everywhere have a decreased tendency now to want to compromise with another human being in a relationship; because of what they are told by the media, they 'want it all' - ignoring the realities of life.

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   ExpandYourMindposted 13 years ago

   Many factors contribute . . . Being "divorced" has lost the stigma it had years ago. So, there's less motivation to work on an unhappy marriage.  More wifes are gainfully employed so there's less financial incentive to stay in an unhappy marriage. Many couples don't take "'til death do you part" literally, even though they repeat this in their vows.  Others believe they can "change" the habits they dislike in a partner, only to discover "change aint happening -- so they move on.

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   ahorsebackposted 13 years ago

   Divorce, an easy out for people taking the easy path, we have become a very liberal nation , in America, Divorce is approx. 50%  , doesn't say much for us!  Yes, selfish is the biggest factor, and I blame men , men in America for 30, 40 years have failed at commiting themselves to anything long term. Children, work, marriage, it's just too easy to run from life than to attack it with an attitude of commitment. We , in America , will continue downhill untill we regain our values , integrity, virtue , character, it all matters . However less men believe it now than ever......

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   wingedcentaurposted 13 years ago

   Good Day RickBurnett
   
   I agree with Tulsitala Tom and Expand YourMind, whose answers I voted up. I would also add that there is the element of money. The principle thing couples get into serious conflict about is money, the household budget.
   
   I think there are structural features about life in the United States that contribute to this, as opposed to what one would expect to find in Canada, some Latin American countries, and western Europe, where a more liberal Keynesian, social democratic order prevails -- where they have things like universal healthcare, free or much, much, cheaper college education, and a generally much more robust social safety net.
   
   During economic tough times the social indicators always take a dip. But I am saying that even during relative good times economically, in the United States, the structural, "free market," nature of the economy puts stresses on people that they do not experience. Since the number one relationship bummer is money, that means that couples in the U.S. experience stresses that couples in social democratic countries do not face.
   
   Did you see the movie by Michael Moore, called "Sicko?" What a disgrace that even Cuba, a tiny island against whom the United States has had sanctions going over forty years now, can nevertheless manage to provide her people, all her people with comprehensive, free healthcare, and America, the richest nation in the world, can't seem to manage it!

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   LoryRichposted 13 years ago

   "Divorce" and "selfishness"- are these two phenomenon interrelated? This question will be the object of an inquiry by this hub. Good news is that the US divorce rate has been on a decline yet absolute figures are still high. Read on. read more

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