The Truth About Marriage and Women’s Happiness
Debunking the Myth that Marriage Makes Women Unhappy
Debunking the Myth that Marriage Makes Women Unhappy
Refuting Paul Dolan’s Claims
Marriage has long been considered a cornerstone of society and a symbol of love and commitment between two people. However, recent claims by behavioral scientist Paul Dolan in his book “ Happy Every After “, have suggested that women should be wary of getting married and that they would be much better off steering clear of marriage and children altogether.
Dolan’s claims gave birth to a toxic narrative widely used by radical feminists as a “case closed” answer to any argument that marriage might be a good thing for both men AND women.
Dolan cites the American Time Use Survey, a national survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as evidence for his claim. He argues that when the spouse is present, married people report being happier than other population subgroups. However, when the spouse is not present, they report being “f***ing miserable”.
However, this claim has been met with criticism and skepticism from experts in the field. Economist Gray Kimbrough of American University’s School of Public Affairs, who uses the survey data regularly, pointed out that Dolan had misinterpreted one of the categories in the survey, “spouse absent”, which refers to married people whose partner is no longer living in their household, as meaning the spouse stepped out of the room.
The survey doesn’t ask if a respondent’s spouse was in the room and was not conducted as Dolan described.
Dolan confirmed that he misinterpreted the variable in an email to Kimbrough, stating,
“We did indeed misinterpret the variable. Some surveys code whether people are present for the interview, but in this instance, it refers to the presence in the household. I have contacted the Guardian, who has amended the piece and my editor so we can make the requisite changes to the book. The substance of my argument that marriage is generally better for men than for women remains.”
You’re Still Wrong Paul
However, Kimbrough disputes Dolan’s claim that marriage is better for men than women, stating that Dolan’s other claims also “fall apart with a cursory look at the evidence.” He also pointed out that Dolan’s citation in that second paragraph does not say that there are no benefits to women marrying, only that they are not as large as benefits to men.
An older article he cited earlier claims that unmarried women have 50% higher mortality rates than married women.
Additionally, Dolan’s claim that the “healthiest and happiest population subgroup are women who never married or had children” is not supported by the American Time Use Survey data as it lacks data on ever having children. Still, it doesn't back up his claim when comparing never/ever married with and without children in the household.
It is important to note that Dolan’s claims were based on misinterpreted data, and it is vital to be aware of the limitations and sources of information when interpreting research.
The Research Tells A Different Story
Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research, conducted by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, supports Kimbrough’s claims that marriage is beneficial for both men and women. The study found that married individuals, both men and women, reported higher levels of happiness than their single counterparts.
How's Life at Home? New Evidence on Marriage and the Set Point for Happiness
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research…www.nber.org
The study also found that marriage is associated with lower levels of depression, decreased suicide risk and better physical health.
The study further found that the positive effects of marriage on happiness and well-being are the largest for those with a high-quality marriage characterized by love, trust, and commitment.
A study by the University of Missouri-Columbia found that married women reported higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being than single or divorced women.
Life satisfaction, general self-efficacy, self-esteem, and communication skills in married women
Keywords: Communication skills, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, self-esteem, women Life satisfaction is one of the…www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The study also found that married women reported higher self-esteem and self-efficacy than single or divorced women. This suggests that marriage can positively affect mental health and self-perception for women.
Researchers Robert G. Wood, Brian Goesling, and Sarah Avellar found during a recent survey that married women had better physical and mental health outcomes than single or divorced women. The study found that married women had lower rates of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases compared to single or divorced women.
The Effects of Marriage on Health: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence. Research Brief
This brief was prepared by Robert G. Wood, Brian Goesling, and Sarah Avellar of Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. under…aspe.hhs.gov
The study also found that married women had lower rates of depression and suicide compared to single or divorced women. This suggests that marriage can positively affect women's physical and mental health.
So it seems that marriage isn’t only a way for men to call on “The Patriarchy” to deliver them a maid, sex doll and live-in caregiver. There are numerous benefits for women too…
I’m Not Saying Marriage is The Holy Grail of Existence
It is important to remember that marriage is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and happiness in marriage is a complex and multi-faceted topic that a single survey or statistic cannot determine.
However, these studies and others in the field show that marriage can positively affect happiness and well-being for both men and women.
It is crucial to note that these positive effects are most pronounced in marriages characterized by love, trust, and commitment.
I’m trying to debunk some of these pervasive myths because they’re used to kill any discussion or debate. These myths dominate comments to articles on the subject of marriage across the web.
You’re accused of being an idiot for stating that single women who live alone are not living at the peak of human existence. Check out the comments in this article I wrote recently:
Has the Left Become Anti-Human?
The Political Left Seems to be Slowly Embracing a Future Without Humansmedium.com
Devaluing Marriage Isn’t Helping Anyone
In this age of online dating, the value of marriage is consistently degraded. Modern dating apps offer users a superficial snapshot of their would-be mates, with profile pictures and filters like height, job/income, and the ever-shifting concept of “chemistry” or compatibility determining who makes the cut.
However, just like the superficial nature of dating apps, Dolan’s claims were also superficial, basing his argument on a misinterpretation of data and not taking into account the complexity of the relationship between marriage and happiness.
The decision to marry is personal and should not be swayed by inaccurate or misinterpreted research.
Dolan’s claim that women should be wary of marriage is based on inaccurate information and it is important to critically evaluate research and its sources before making any conclusions.
Additionally, research shows that marriage can positively affect happiness and well-being for both men and women, especially in marriages characterized by love, trust, and commitment.
While marriage may not be the right choice for everyone, it is important to understand that the research on this topic is complex and multifaceted.
It is also important to remember that not all marriages are created equal and that the quality of a marriage is a significant factor in determining one’s happiness and well-being.
Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge that the relationship between marriage and happiness, as well as marriage and health, is a two-way street and that it is not only the marriage but also the individuals in the marriage that contribute to their happiness and well-being.
Therefore, striving for healthy and happy relationships, whether in marriage or any other form of relationship, is important.
Let’s spend our time, energy and creative output trying to solve existing problems, address lingering inequalities or entrenched bigotry and improve everyone’s marriages as best we can.
What never seems to come up in any of these discussions or posts is the impact on children. We act as if they don’t even exist sometimes and that’s about as abusive as we can behave as adults.
Rather than tearing one another down all the time, let’s explore this incredibly complex and important topic to figure out how to improve the institution for men, women AND children.
Thank you, as always, for reading my work.
Please comment in a good faith attempt to add something constructive, informative, or insightful to the discussion.
Or tell us about YOUR story and experiences in the wild and whacky world of nuptials.
In the end, if you can’t find anything positive in your heart, then let it rip.
It makes for great entertainment and I’ll still love you in the morning ;)