Married folks are now the minority.

[walterick]

For the first time in United States history, there are now more single households in the United States than married ones. The number has been falling for years and is now just below the 50% mark:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/...eb.1015wed.php

I first heard about this on NPR today.

What's your take? Is there a broad movement, as most believe, to wait longer to get married? Have people become disenchanted with the institution of marriage? What effect if any does the new economic reality women face have on this phenomenon?

I'll read a bit then post my thoughts.

[walterick]

Here's a link to the NPR piece:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=6284154

[Asylum Steve]

Ah, marriage is for CHUMPS!... :cryin:

After all, why spill the milk when you can get a cow to...er, ask a cow to...uhm...to not marry... you???...

Uh, I'll be back after I've had a cup of coffee...

[mjs1973]

I heard this on NPR yesterday myself. I'll be joining the ranks for the minority in less than 3 weeks.

[Frog]

I prefer being in the minority myself.

[danag42]

Oh, well, I always was the odd one out. Now I'm not even the "normal" middle-class guy, because I'm married?

[another view]

I first heard about this on NPR today.

Good man! And don't forget your pledge...

I think it's newsworthy just because the statistic got to a certain number, like the US population getting to 300 million or the stock market hitting 12,000 (both right around the corner). A lot of people are waiting awhile to get married and this has been going on for a long time. Along those lines, population has been on a big increase almost everywhere in the world, and the stock market has been doing well. Those are already news stories, but will be big stories once they happen. Decades ago, the "normal" age to get married was much lower (from what I know, no hard research).

Last weekend I was at a friend's wedding - he's in his 40's and never married before but was in a serious relationship with someone else and had a son. Times are a' changin...

[walterick]

Are women more empowered in today's society? Does a modern woman's financial independence (and thus, a lower need for a man to support her) contribute to this lower rate of marriage? What of the climbing divorce rate? Are people disenchanted with the "fairytale" dream of marriage?

[Sushigaijin]

I personally think that it's just a social movement; it is no longer stigma to have children outside of wedlock, or to be a single woman...in my opinion, the statistics are finally catching up with reality - I think people are just not getting married because they "have to" and are now getting married because they want to. Nothing wrong with that. I'd rather see 10,000 happy marriages than 300 million unhappy ones.

aside: I'm part of the married minority.

Erik.

[Greg McCary]

My wife used to think that I hung the moon. Now I feel I just block her view of it. What happens?????
Greg

[adina]

Ah, marriage is for CHUMPS!... :cryin:

After all, why spill the milk when you can get a cow to...er, ask a cow to...uhm...to not marry... you???...

Uh, I'll be back after I've had a cup of coffee...

That's what I said to a friend just recently. Then she got all mad because I called her a cow.

[walterick]

Calling a woman a cow is a great way to insure that you stay in the unmarried majority

[walterick]

Time to spice things up

[another view]

Depending on how far you go back for comparison, I'd say that women are more empowered so things are closer to equal (yes, I said closer). So - more options are open and they don't have to get married. Why would they want a guy like me hanging around just getting in the way? My wife (who owns her own business) apparently hasn't figured this out yet.

[adina]

Depending on how far you go back for comparison, I'd say that women are more empowered so things are closer to equal (yes, I said closer). So - more options are open and they don't have to get married. Why would they want a guy like me hanging around just getting in the way? My wife (who owns her own business) apparently hasn't figured this out yet.

Well, I've met your lovely wife, and I think she just keeps you around for heavy lifting.

[another view]

Well, I've met your lovely wife, and I think she just keeps you around for heavy lifting.

Actually I think it's more for reaching stuff on the top shelf of the pantry...