Is long term marriage becoming a thing of the past?

1. 75

   braincandyposted 11 years ago

   Is long term marriage becoming a thing of the past?
   
   

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2. 52

   Lorena Gilposted 11 years ago

   Noooo! I have a long marriage, and it will be forever!

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3. 44

   DDEposted 11 years ago

   I think long term marriages are becoming the thing of the past. I know of a few couples who have divorced after twenty and thirty years of marriages.
   All the years spent together and suddenly they can't stand to be together anymore.  The modern lives  is slowly taking long term marriages away from couples.

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      dashingscorpioposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Nevertheless you'd have to concede that 20 or 30 years is long-term. :-)
      The word "term" means for a (time period). It does not mean forever or infinity. In my opinion anything over 20 years is a long-term marriage/relationship. :-)

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4. 83

   jansharesposted 11 years ago

   I hope not but it appears to be. I've been saddened by the recent marriage breakups of very good friends, three couples in the last few years. So I'm concerned about the outlook for long term marriage.

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5. 60

   Lapseposted 11 years ago

   I believe it is yes, but a better question is, "Why is long term marriage becoming a thing of the past?"
   In my humble informed opinion its due to two things.  First people don't truly evaluate their potential spouses objectively enough and second people are willing to compromise in their relationships less and less every year.  The combination equals an increased chance of a split.  Kinda tragic.

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   1. 75

      braincandyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I see this too. It also seems that in the big picture, our values  have changed and that kind of commitment is not valued as much anymore.

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      dashingscorpioposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent answer! People often choose the wrong life partner for themselves. They also don't believe they're "stuck" with their bad choices either and are determined to pursue happiness throughout their lives. "It's your life. take the wheel!"

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6. 70

   dashingscorpioposted 11 years ago

   Not at all. I know several couples who have been married for over 20 years. I believe what has changed is just because a couple has been together for 20 or 30 years does not mean they'll never get divorced!
   Former VP Al Gore was married for 40 years before getting divorced. There is NO period to "RELAX" in a marriage. You have to continue to (nurture) it. If you neglect it,  just like a garden it will die.
   Having said that I also know many couples who never bothered to get divorced legally but do not live together or they live in the same house but as "roommates with the same last name". On paper as each year rolls by they're statistically counted among the"successful" marriages.
   Long-term simply means several or many years.
   A "term" is a period of time not necessarily for life or forever!

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   1. 75

      braincandyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Good points!

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7. 61

   saralynwposted 11 years ago

   My parents have been married for 33 years, so it it possible. One thing my parents taught me was that marriage is work, you both have to commit to being with each other and help each other grow as a person. Being supportive and communicating well is also very important because it shows that you still care and want the other person to be happy. A lot of people just give up when times get tough but working through your problems can bring you both closer then ever.

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