The last episode for the week is a very hot topic. A complex one at that, something one has to sit down and think thoroughly on.
There is already a legal age limit. But when we talk about age brackets, it's very different. Someone 20 years old can't marry a child who is 17 years old— that's the age limit because the legal age is 18 years old, it doesn't matter if it's just a year left before reaching the legal age or if the age gap is just three years.
But a man in his 70s can get married to a girl in her 20s and it isn't considered problematic. Is it right or fair?
Some people think it's all about respecting the legal age limit, but it goes much deeper than that; it takes so much from psychology and physiology.
I think the number one thing to consider is vulnerability.
A 70-year-old can legally marry an 18-year-old, and while it may be accepted by the law, we need to consider the power imbalance and manipulation. The 70-year-old has more experience than an 18-year-old. It can be vice versa, too, but in any case, there is a huge gap in the strength of the mind, giving room to emotional abuse.
Another very common thing is financial and emotional exploitation. Older, wealthier partners may coerce younger partners into marriage for money and status, and a younger partner can exploit the mind of the older partner, worn out by age, just for money or status.
And I am not even comfortable with the legal age either. I think it still needs to be raised a little, because neuroscience, the prefrontal Cortex—the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking matures at age 25.
And this got me wondering if the reason for keeping the legal age at 18 was only considering the body and not the mind.
Don't get me wrong, there are still fools at 40.
I feel like people outside your age brackets are more likely to be in a totally different stage of life. For example, someone who's old and retired, probably done with life and just wants to relax and live out the days left, and then someone young has a job, is energetic and is yet to explore and live life to the fullest. Someone with experience and someone with little experience.
And imagine a case where the old person enters a state where he or she can't function fully, and maybe there are kids in the marriage.
The entire responsibilities would be shifted to one person. Not to mention when stuff like dementia hits because of age or other conditions.
Or is it the young ones that get married to old people for money, and just have in mind that they have to endure a little for the person to die?
So the old person just spends his last days living a life that isn't so real.
Some even get tired of waiting for time to do the job and do it themselves.
But these facts still don't change the fact that there are couples with far apart age brackets that are living in a happy and healthy relationship.
And love can be very complicated, I don't understand much about it.
So as long as there is consent, mutual understanding, and no exploitation, the government shouldn’t interfere with age brackets because it wouldn't be fair to people who do not have these problems. People need guidance, not restrictions.