Off Topic...Thoughts on Marriage, I do or I don't???

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  • Svanel
    Svanel Posts: 6,255 Member
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    What do you do if you are in a relationship, but not on the same page with marriage?

    Suppose you are living like a married couple already. Yall are living under the same roof, paying bills together, raising kids together, celebrating holidays and birthdays together, but one of you doesn't ever want to get married and one of you does.

    Is that a deal breaker? Do you end the relationship?

    Thoughts???

    Mine ended for this very reason. I wanted more. I mean we were looking at houses for crying out loud. But? he didn't want to make that "commitment". We did all of the above lol - bills, family life, holidays, birthdays, vacations, etc. but when it came down to getting that ring? He would not do it. Said we were doing okay, etc. etc. I even caught him talking to his ex. I flipped out. We broke up. I started dating. He flipped out, bought a ring. After all that? I couldn't say yes. He still tries to come back. Hey, I was ready, wth was he? lol anywho, moving on! :D
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited November 2016
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    Been married twice, never again. My current arrangement actually caters very well to both of us. We're kind of in a relationship, kind of not, don't live together, but spend as much time together as schedules allow. We're both extremely solitary people anyway, so not having each other constantly up one another's *kitten* is very beneficial to the health of the sotuation.

    It's pretty fantastic really. I get to be a video game loving and weight training narcissist, without it screwing with another person's life or self-worth.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,862 Member
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    We've been married 33 years. It works because we're on the same page on all major issues. If one of you wants to get married and the other doesn't it COULD be a problem in your relationship whether you get married or not. It depends on if it's important to both of you. Get married and the one who didn't want to get married may resent it. Don't get married and the one who wanted to get married may resent it.
  • Karb_Kween
    Karb_Kween Posts: 2,681 Member
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    I wanna get married
  • kschwab0203
    kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
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    Deipneus wrote: »
    We've been married 33 years. It works because we're on the same page on all major issues. If one of you wants to get married and the other doesn't it COULD be a problem in your relationship whether you get married or not. It depends on if it's important to both of you. Get married and the one who didn't want to get married may resent it. Don't get married and the one who wanted to get married may resent it.

    This ^ is my fear.
  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
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    After seven years of living together, you guys will be considered legally bound anyway. At least in some states.
  • rhe92
    rhe92 Posts: 58 Member
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    I don't think this is something to be decided through other people experiences, I can understand both sides of the story. This is something that you both need to sit down over and chat about the pros and cons of both marriage and non marriage. Do your research, you don't need a big party and if your family truly cared for you they would understand that you don't want a huge wedding. Forget the money side and decide if this is something you want, if it is, forget the party and invite family round to your house for a few drink after instead (or meet them down the pub), if it's not then consider all the time you have both spent thinking about this instead of going out and enjoying your life together.
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
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    Terpdad wrote: »
    Terpdad wrote: »
    You're asking for advice on mfp. Leave now

    Gee you sound like a super person!

    Thought you might want to check out some of the following threads and let these people know to stop asking for advice or speaking off topic to the site since you appointed yourself MFP police.

    The Singles Hangout
    Girls Opinion
    Why Do Guys Only Want Me For My Kitten
    Dr. Pimple Popper
    Newly Broken Up

    Also, if you have more time once you are done with these, I can certainly get another list for you...there are tons of these kinds of post.

    "Leave now"=leave your relationship, Einstein

    You weren't exactly crystal clear brah.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    *I* would walk away at some point. But you have to decide that for yourself.

    In my case, I've been in a similar situation (no kids together, though) and he actually changed his mind and wants to get married now. It's just a matter of getting our respective families here so we can do it surrounded by the right people. However, I would have eventually walked if he hadn't changed his mind.
  • kschwab0203
    kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
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    km8907 wrote: »
    Terpdad wrote: »
    Terpdad wrote: »
    You're asking for advice on mfp. Leave now

    Gee you sound like a super person!

    Thought you might want to check out some of the following threads and let these people know to stop asking for advice or speaking off topic to the site since you appointed yourself MFP police.

    The Singles Hangout
    Girls Opinion
    Why Do Guys Only Want Me For My Kitten
    Dr. Pimple Popper
    Newly Broken Up

    Also, if you have more time once you are done with these, I can certainly get another list for you...there are tons of these kinds of post.

    "Leave now"=leave your relationship, Einstein

    You weren't exactly crystal clear brah.

    Right!
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
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    While the marriage issue had nothing to do with my ex and I breaking up, it was very representative of our shortcomings as a couple. I knew I wanted to be married, but at the time I didn't really know *why* - it just seemed important. After about 2 years, I started gazing at rings when we walked by jewelry stores, hoping we could at least talk about it. Eventually we did, and he made it clear that marriage was meaningless to him and didn't see a reason for it. He didn't care that it was important to me, and if we ever were to get married, it would be when he decided it was ok.

    Some big issues here that eventually broke us up: my inability to speak up for myself and express things to him in a way he "got," his insistence on controlling our relationship, and his lack of compassion. These were pervasive in our day-to-day interactions, not just this issue. If we had been otherwise healthy, I probably could have at least been more sympathetic to his position, but instead I felt rejected and unheard and grew resentful. We trudged on for 2 more years, but we were miserable. Then when I finally dumped him, he told me he had been planning to propose soon.

    Is marriage a standalone issue in your relationship, or is it one more thing in a string of things that make you question if you should be with him?
  • sw33tp3a_1
    sw33tp3a_1 Posts: 795 Member
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    I was in that situation for many, many , many yrs and when he finally decided that marriage was the next step (after 12 yrs....) I was so over the idea of marriage but did it anyway for the kids sake. Stupid mistake.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    What do you do if you are in a relationship, but not on the same page with marriage?

    Suppose you are living like a married couple already. Yall are living under the same roof, paying bills together, raising kids together, celebrating holidays and birthdays together, but one of you doesn't ever want to get married and one of you does.

    Is that a deal breaker? Do you end the relationship?

    Thoughts???

    Reading the thread you have been together 3 years and your children are from previous relationships.

    I think it depends on why marriage is important to one person and not the other. There are valid reasons for marriage like wanting to have more of a say in the children's lives or custody if something happens to the parent or making medical decisions, insurance, property, etc. A person may not want marriage due to past experiences or not wanting the commitment.
    I think you should get to the heart of why each of you feel the way you do and have a very honest discussion. If your views are really in disagreement maybe you should walk away.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    Terpdad wrote: »
    km8907 wrote: »
    Terpdad wrote: »
    Terpdad wrote: »
    You're asking for advice on mfp. Leave now

    Gee you sound like a super person!

    Thought you might want to check out some of the following threads and let these people know to stop asking for advice or speaking off topic to the site since you appointed yourself MFP police.

    The Singles Hangout
    Girls Opinion
    Why Do Guys Only Want Me For My Kitten
    Dr. Pimple Popper
    Newly Broken Up

    Also, if you have more time once you are done with these, I can certainly get another list for you...there are tons of these kinds of post.

    "Leave now"=leave your relationship, Einstein

    You weren't exactly crystal clear brah.

    I teach special ed.

    Oh my god, the blind leading the blind! Just kidding. It was low hanging fruit.
  • rugratz2015
    rugratz2015 Posts: 593 Member
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    Louise1491 wrote: »
    Villae81 wrote: »
    Its a trap don't do it

    Hey! That's my line.

    OP, you gotta them so drunk that they don't remember marrying you.

    kidding, I have no good advice.

    I was (sort of) drunk when I got married ...

    But the op needs to decide what's really important and how much they want to be with their partner, married or not.
  • ivygirl1937
    ivygirl1937 Posts: 899 Member
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    While the marriage issue had nothing to do with my ex and I breaking up, it was very representative of our shortcomings as a couple. I knew I wanted to be married, but at the time I didn't really know *why* - it just seemed important. After about 2 years, I started gazing at rings when we walked by jewelry stores, hoping we could at least talk about it. Eventually we did, and he made it clear that marriage was meaningless to him and didn't see a reason for it. He didn't care that it was important to me, and if we ever were to get married, it would be when he decided it was ok.

    Some big issues here that eventually broke us up: my inability to speak up for myself and express things to him in a way he "got," his insistence on controlling our relationship, and his lack of compassion. These were pervasive in our day-to-day interactions, not just this issue. If we had been otherwise healthy, I probably could have at least been more sympathetic to his position, but instead I felt rejected and unheard and grew resentful. We trudged on for 2 more years, but we were miserable. Then when I finally dumped him, he told me he had been planning to propose soon.

    Is marriage a standalone issue in your relationship, or is it one more thing in a string of things that make you question if you should be with him?

    This. A thousand times, this. I have a very similar situation and it was only in hindsight that I realized how emotionally abusive my ex actually was (not saying your guy is, I don't know your situation) and how awful things would have been had we gotten married because he only would have gotten worse, not better.

    That said, if it's the only issue, I don't know. It would depend on how adamant each of you are in your opinion.
  • kschwab0203
    kschwab0203 Posts: 610 Member
    Options
    While the marriage issue had nothing to do with my ex and I breaking up, it was very representative of our shortcomings as a couple. I knew I wanted to be married, but at the time I didn't really know *why* - it just seemed important. After about 2 years, I started gazing at rings when we walked by jewelry stores, hoping we could at least talk about it. Eventually we did, and he made it clear that marriage was meaningless to him and didn't see a reason for it. He didn't care that it was important to me, and if we ever were to get married, it would be when he decided it was ok.

    Some big issues here that eventually broke us up: my inability to speak up for myself and express things to him in a way he "got," his insistence on controlling our relationship, and his lack of compassion. These were pervasive in our day-to-day interactions, not just this issue. If we had been otherwise healthy, I probably could have at least been more sympathetic to his position, but instead I felt rejected and unheard and grew resentful. We trudged on for 2 more years, but we were miserable. Then when I finally dumped him, he told me he had been planning to propose soon.

    Is marriage a standalone issue in your relationship, or is it one more thing in a string of things that make you question if you should be with him?

    This. A thousand times, this. I have a very similar situation and it was only in hindsight that I realized how emotionally abusive my ex actually was (not saying your guy is, I don't know your situation) and how awful things would have been had we gotten married because he only would have gotten worse, not better.

    That said, if it's the only issue, I don't know. It would depend on how adamant each of you are in your opinion.

    I didn't want to get married up until recently. Who knows my mind may change again. I think that not really understanding his reasons why and kinda thinking they are bull*hit is bothering me more.