Oddbean new post about login | logout Most women don't enter into marriage thinking about benefits. It's more that they become disillusioned after they enter into it and start asking themselves why they are putting up with the unhappiness. Fewer and fewer young women want to marry, and I am quite sure that it's because they are beginning to ask themselves if it's worth the effort. It's easy to say that they should just do it, anyway, but I doubt that will motivate them. If we can't describe what net-benefit marriage will bring them, then we might have to admit that it brings them none.
I have very special role models when it comes to marriage: my parents. They still have a wonderful and romantic marriage today. Of course, they had difficult times. There were also arguments. They didn't have the same opinion on everything. But they got through it together. They supported each other and grew together. That was my role model. And I firmly believe that a marriage is worth every effort and that the value of a marriage is not so easy to quantify
I was a housewife for a few years (and since 3 weeks 😁) and I never felt "financially trapped" because my husband has made a conscious effort to ensure that I own property in my own name. I think this is something other men could also do, to reduce womens' inclination to stay in the workforce and make marriage and motherhood more attractive to women.
Oh, I didn't feel financially dependent for a long time either. We owned everything together. What happened next is very personal. But believe me, I couldn't imagine it myself. But I certainly made clear mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, if you're married long enough.
I don't think "owning together" is enough. I think the homemaker needs to own things outright. Solely in their own name, so that they can take it and walk out the door. Like have their own retirement account, gold vault, Bitcoin wallet, etc. It's a psychological thing, mostly, but psyche is important.