Do you believe society overrates relationships and sex in general?

[Prowler]

Relationships and sex are two very important aspects of life for many people, if not most people. I mean, after all, reproduction needs to happen for the species to live on. As for people who are exclusively attracted to their own sex... well they still have sexual and romantic desires.

Humans like companionship. most of us want friends and most of us eventually want to have sex one day and/or have a bf/gf. Notice how you start getting pressured into finding a partner and losing your virginity when you're a teenager. And how society tends to view older virgins and overall romantically inexperienced people as "losers" or weirdos?

But lots of relationships aren't good at all. Look at divorce rates. Also, a lot of people have more than one bf/gf in their lives. So a lot of relationships definitely fail.

Obviously, having someone you love and vice-versa by your side is a big bonus to your life, but is it really a need for 99% of people on Earth to find their "significant other" one day and live happily forever like the media and society seem to believe? If someone is single still at age 35 or 40 people sem to feel bad for that person, as if being single is a bad thing per se.

So, thoughts? I personally think everyone is different and does things at their own pace. If someone wants to party and get laid then good for them. But also good for those who don't want to do that and would rather remain single. Also, pressuring people to have kids in this day and age is not a good idea considering how hard it is for younger people to support themselves compared to back in the 80s and 90s. Most parents seem to want grandchildren in the future, but they shouldn't demand that out of their kids.

So yeah, if you don't want a spouse or any kids then good for you. You don't have to justify that at all.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Yes, I believe society does overrate sex and relationships in general as being the key to a person's happiness.

But I do believe marriages based on religious compatibility are underrated.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Yes, I believe society does overrate sex and relationships.

But I believe marriage is underrated.

Underrated? How so?

[plastroncafe]

All relationships end if you wait long enough.
A relationship that ends in divorce is not a failed relationship, it's just one that ended.

I think American culture in particular has a very unhealthy relationship and view of sexuality.
I would say the taboos surrounding it make it overrated. But the act and connection that act creates between lovers is underestimated.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

All relationships end if you wait long enough.
A relationship that ends in divorce is not a failed relationship, it's just one that ended.

I think American culture in particular has a very unhealthy relationship and view of sexuality.
I would say the taboos surrounding it make it overrated. But the act and connection that act creates between lovers is underestimated.

So divorce has become so common these days that people no longer expect to be married for life when they get married anymore?

[plastroncafe]

Don't let the talking points for you, divorce has always existed in one form or another.

Relationships end.
And all people are not monogamous, evolutionarily speaking.
Our closest primate relatives are either polygamous or polyamorous

Humans aren't traditionally a monogamous species.
That's a relatively new tradition.

[Sumac]

Definitely.
Society constantly pressures people into relationships and family life, starting from school idiots boasting about their loss of virginity and to the relatives who constantly quip how you should marry and how they want grandkids.

Can't say about Western society, though, I think, in this case it is legacy of religion wiping its feet for 2 thousand years on the humanity brain.

But in Russia it is legacy of the fact that just 150 years ago most of Russia population were slaves and lived in a very old-school ways, like having arranged marriages, 10+ kids (to compensate for the insane high rate of infant mortality) and so on.

Even though times have changed, a lot of people still believe that families should have lots of kids, that if you are not married at 20+ - you are some weirdo and so on. Which doesn't make sense, but a lot of things about society does not.

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

All relationships end if you wait long enough.

Depends on the people.
I know some couples who were together for more than 60 years.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Sumac

Depends on the people.
I know some couples who were together for more than 60 years.

My own parents were together for 40 years until my dad died. Which -- I think -- is exactly the point Plastron was trying to make in this instance.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Underrated? How so?

I believe marriage is underrated in the sense that it no longer has the importance and exclusivity that it once did, it is now simply an option among many options.