With some of the richest men in the world; Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk all facing divorce, many young people now think of marriage as a great investment; a stepping stone to success that must be discarded as soon as success has been attained. Marriage, in the context of this post is a partnership worth investing in for all the benefits that it offers.
This post is written by a man, and as such it is written from the point of view of the male gender. This does not in any way make light of the sacrifices women make to ensure successful marriages. In fact we must realize that most marriages are successful, and most homes habitable because of the work put in by the female gender.
Now, let us break it down, and analyze what makes marriage an investment.
Marriage as an Investment
Marriage is the coming together of two people to become one in the eyes of society, and under the law. They pledge to love one another, take care of one another, to raise a family together, and to share whatever life gives to them-together. They promise to do so faithfully ‘till death do us part.’
To get a clear understanding of what we mean by ‘investment,’ we turn to wikipedia for a definition. This is how wikipedia defines marriage: ‘To invest is to allocate money with the expectation of a positive benefit/return in the future. In other words, to invest means owning an asset or an item with the goal of generating income from the investment or the appreciation of your investment which is an increase in the value of the asset over a period of time. When you invest it always requires a sacrifice of some present asset that you own today such as time, money, or effort.’
We agree with that definition, the only issue being the phrase ‘owning an asset or an item.’ Your wife is not your property, and she certainly is not an item. However, marriage is an investment because it requires sacrifice of your time, your money, and effort. I know men who starve themselves in order to give their wives a treat every other night. A wife is a goddess that a man must worship: you must make regular offerings like the beautiful dress she wants, and such things to keep her happy. These offerings usually come at a price, especially if the man is struggling to provide the necessary things such as food and shelter. But investments should pay off. So what does a man get in return for his investments in the marriage?
What Returns from the Marriage Investment?
A man gets welfare, companionship, and stability. It is hard to imagine that a person could become successful without these key ingredients. Let us highlight them one by one.
Welfare:
Welfare is a rather official sounding term, and rightly so, after all we are discussing investment, which is a very official matter indeed. Welfare officially means government support to help citizens meet certain needs like food and healthcare. Companies also usually offer one form of welfare or another to members of staff.
Well, in the context of marriage welfare means care. When you have a caring wife who looks after you, you will never want to be single again! This care is a major boost to a man’s career because it reduces downtime due to sick days. You are therefore able to do more every month, and thus improve your chances of having a successful career.
Companionship:
A good wife is a boost to your mental health. She is a friend, a playmate, someone to talk to. Without her presence life would be a dull affair indeed. She gives you a home to return to after work, and someone to make that home worth running back to. She is like a valve that regulates and releases the pressure of work. Without her the engine would soon go kaput.
You could have a wife or a therapist. The choice is yours, but the latter could be more expensive, and could reduce your productivity.
Stability:
In this context, stability entails elements of the two previously highlighted benefits of your investment in marriage; companionship and welfare. Your wife brings stability to your life because she is an anchor that saves you from drifting off into uncertainty. Your wife gives you steady meals (home cooked and delicious), steady sex (passionate and sensual), steady companionship (a listening ear when you need it), and steady love (that overcomes misunderstandings).
Stability is more than having a house of your own, it means a kind of mental and emotional balance that comes with having the basic things you need, and which means you can mentally focus on achieving the great things you have set out to get.
So why the Rising Rate of Divorce?
The rate of divorce seems to be going up for a number of reasons. One reason is that people these days just do not place a high value on the institution of marriage. They see marriage as an open door, and so they just walk in and out of it at will. This has been coming for sometime; like a fashion trend that has been gaining acceptance, one person at a time, but has now become a tradition.
This generation are just a bunch of spoilt brats who think that the world revolves around them. They have been raised to be selfish and intolerant. Marriage –an institution which is based on love and care of another person- can certainly not survive with such a mentality.
Faithfulness or fidelity (the lack of which) is another reason why marriage is on the decline. People these days just find it hard to keep their eyes, and their hearts with their partners. Marriage vows do not mean anything to people these days.
No Common Goals. Without agreement about what they want, it is impossible to have team-work. If the two people cannot work together, they will likely look for partners outside their marriage, and that could mean the end of the marriage.
Conclusion:
When people hear that Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are facing divorce they seem to think that there is no point to marriage in the first place. They forget that both men were happily married for several years, and that those were the most important years of their careers. Without Melinda Gates and MacKenzie Scott, would Mr. Gates and Mr. Bezos have become as successful and rich as they are today? You do the math!
These men have invested in the marriage, and as investors they have decided to divest. Rather than prove that there is no point to marriage, the cases of these men actually prove that marriage is necessary to achieve success.
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