The definition of marriage remains the same but the practice of it shifts based on the era. Before the world began to have a more elaborative understanding about marriage, it used to be an objective for people to achieve, it was considered as a milestone. Marriage was one of the key principle the society used in measuring people. A responsible and honorable man is meant to have his woman by his side and an unwed woman is considered a stigma to the society.
It became a social contract both men and women were forced into. There intention regarding the union was second to the priorities of the society, matters of affection was just a mere emotion, both parties are on a race to win each other, most especially the men. This was the sad reality of marriages or should I say the norm, yet people thrived and marveled in it.
As time goes on, people started prioritizing their emotions, personal aims and objectives over societal needs. Thanks to education, people became more exposed to more way of life that is beyond traditional cultural practices. In so doing, perspectives were elevated, gradually people's attitude towards the practice changed. It wasn't suddenly but slow gradual process born out of enlightenment.
People began to reason for themselves, rather than let society decide what is wrong or right for them. People realized, if I have to go into a forever contract, it better be what I want and deserve. Marriage metamorphosed to something different, it became more personal.
After decades allowing society use marriage as a criteria to weigh people's value, people focused on developing themselves and by doing so, the measure of value changed. Slowly, everything that used to make marriage a do or die affair, was detached from it.
Did it create a more stable environment for partners and children? it depends on who you ask. In those days, a lot of people's opinions were silenced, just to uphold societal standards. It wasn't as if there were no complains about how marriage was in those days but people had no voice. In today's environment, everyone can speak up for themselves, no more subjugation of a specific gender.
Everyone has become the judge of their own lives. The only issue with this is that, the importance of cultural values has been diminished, which is one of the things that shielded people from getting involved in marital abominations, which has been normalized in today's society. It is not marriage that created a safe environment for partners and children, it is the values that was upheld, how people cherished dignity.
Without those values, the concept of marriage is falling apart, it used to be like a binding spell that binds people together but now, it is just a play thing.
This write-up was inspired by week 64 episode 2 - SciFi multiverse prompt titled "Declining marriage" in SciFi multiverse community.
