In today’s world when older values are coming under constant questioning by the new generation, marriage itself seems to be becoming obsolete. Thus it is that we are finding an ever-increasing number of people who are more than willing to discard marriage and have a live in relationship out of wedlock.

 

One may ascribe this change in attitude towards marriage as a generation change. It is of course true, but there is more to it than what meets the eye. There are several reasons to which this change in attitude of the new generation can be ascribed.

 

Commitment

 

The very first reason that comes to one’s mind is reluctance to commit oneself completely. Commitment is the one word that marriage stands for. It goes without saying that while marrying, an individual is promising himself or herself, his or her spouse and the society in general, that from henceforth he or she will be committed to his or her partner in mind, body and soul.

 

People are scared to give such an absolute commitment. In today’s world of fast food and faster lifestyles, it appears to people, that marriage somehow bogs one down. It is as if it holds back an individual from living a life of his or her own choice. This feeling that they may somehow lose a part of themselves or full rights to their lifestyle, seems to be the primary cause behind the people’s reluctance to get married.

 

Individualism

 

This brings us to the second and distinct reason for people not wanting to get married. The new age generation leads a very fast paced lifestyle. It has so much of individualism in it that there seems to be a reluctance to be tied down to any other individual.

 

People are reluctant to compromise and compromise is the second pillar of the institution of marriage. In married life one has to accept the other individual for what he or she is without any, or with minimum qualms. It is not possible to be married to only the likeable attributes of the spouse. Everybody has got to have something or the other that we may not like. Yet today’s individualistic generation does not want to compromise on any issues.

 

Careers

 

Besides the lack of commitment and the individualistic mindset, another reason for people to discard the institution of marriage is pursuing of a career. People are so embroiled in pursuing their career goals that everything else takes a backseat in their lives. There is always that one milestone to cross, that one goal to achieve, before one is ready to settle down into married life.

 

Today’s generation is totally career oriented. Thus the idea of getting married and settling down does not appeal to it. Instead, the goals are very different. The young people of today wish to first settle down with a comfortable career and then opt for marriage.

 

Fear

 

There is also an increased rate of divorce in western societies. In this scenario not all divorces are amicable. At times a divorce can be a truly painful and traumatising experience for an individual. As the divorce rate increases, so does the fear of divorce. The fear of getting wounded and having to bear emotional scars is another reason for the new generation’s reluctance to tie the knot.

 

Bad Experience

 

An individual may have married at first but been forced to go through emotional or physical abuse. This may have led to a divorce. The scars from a previous bad experience of an individual or a similar experience of somebody close to him or her may also cause reluctance to get married.

 

Thus there are several reasons why the new generation is reluctant to commit itself to a married lifestyle. People are scared that their individual freedom may be at stake. They do not wish to part ways with their free wheeling lifestyle. Marriage means everything that the new generation is scared of. It means commitment, responsibility and compromise. The ever-increasing rate of divorce is also a cause of trepidation.

 

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