Is marriage the zenith point in a man's life ?

[Rollo Tomassi]

Zenith? LMAO!

After 14 years of what most would consider an ideal marriage I've learned quite a few things. The first and foremost is that what you've been sold about marriage up until you get married is a lie. Think about all the years you're conditioned to think that marriage is a goal, a milestone, the achievement and validation of your maturity. Disney and romanticized media of every variety have been predisposing us to think that once you're married everything will fall into place. Never would they dispel that myth with the truth of the "now what?" question.

The first thing I thought in the few weeks after I got married was "now what?" The zenith was a lie, the goal was horsesh!t. I was married, we were (and still are) happy, but other than her last name changing things were pretty much the same as they'd been before. The skies didn't open up, the angels weren't singing, we were married like millions of others who'd come before us. God forbid that marriage be the greatest most memorable thing you EVER do.

 

[Zarky]

I don't think any generation after the baby boomers has really been sold on marriage. Gen X and Gen Y aren't really interested in getting married.

 

[cavedweller]

Zenith?

If marriage is so great why is the divorce rate running over 50%?

 

[runner83]

Yep the Zenith is the wedding day.

And then after that, it's all downhill.

Obviously depends on the frame of how you go into it, but that's how it is for most. Finding someone to settle down with, let yourself go, and begin the slide back down into boring normality.

 

[cavedweller]

I was married once...I'll never make that mistake again..

 

[grinder]

Is marriage the zenith point in a man's life ?

I often hear about the guys at work talk about their kids & wife and their social activities. They seem very cheerful. I wonder if the guys are more happy than being single.

It’s a thing to do. I’ve done it, twice. And it was good. Then it was bad, but mostly good. We live long lives and there is time to do many things. Marriage is just one of many things to do. Certainly no Zenith, but def a peak experience. Peak experiences are not the goal, just the result of self actualization.

 

[L B]

I love my lifestyle at the moment. I can do whatever I want, buy whatever I want, do dumb things whenever I want. Delaying marriage as long as I can hoping my right one won't ruin my life.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

My parents had a long, happy marriage. Weeks before my father died, he recounted his life to me, telling me the high points. He was explaining why he didn't feel any regret that his life was soon coming to an end. (He'd been given six months about eight months previous).

Growing up poor in the south, fighting in WWII, using his service time to pay for his education, living in South America for a few years, having a long successful career, being elected to a few local political offices in his retirement, and of course raising a healthy, self sufficient family.

All in all, he reckoned he had a good life, and wasn't at all remorseful of any missed opportunities.




If you think that marriage is a zenith of any sort, you're missing out on quite a lot of what life has to offer.

It is merely one choice of many that may help you achieve your life's ambition, or hinder you.

Choose wisely.