Most of what we know now as social constructs have been set from the beginning of time. Right from the moment the first man and woman, Adam and Eve stepped into the consciousness of humanity, that longing that attracts two opposite sexes to one another had been wired into their DNA.
The man Adam, without any precedent or role model, knew that the woman Eve was his to have, hold and care for. They instinctively (or maybe divinely commanded) had the urge to procreate and start a family. Their kids also had their own kids and the chain continued.
So it is safe to say that it is pretty normal for men to one day fall in love with a woman and decide to forsake everything to be with her. All over the world, marriage institution has been fully instituted into cultures and they will be so for generations to come.
However, you will find that men no longer find this cultural expectation convenient. While some delay getting married indefinitely, others dismiss it completely and prefer to stay unmarried. It’s not a new development really, but it seems to have become more commonplace than ever before.
So what’s really happening?
Let’s look at the cost implication of getting married. Weddings can be very expensive, especially in this part of the world. From paying dowry to hosting family and friends for the actual ceremony, it can be a huge burden on a man’s pocket. The thought of spending all that money alone drives so many men crazy.
The fear of commitment is another factor that is making men lose interest in settling down. Naturally, men like to be wild and free. Men take delight in hunting, and the female species is their prey — a consensual one at that. When a thinks of all the fun he can have without being attached to one particular person, he would naturally want to live that life forever. Women feel this way too, but it’s more obvious in men.
Another reason is the increasing cost of living. The world economy is not in a good shape at the moment and it’s having a direct impact on our livelihood. A lot of men are struggling to fend for themselves. Settling down and starting a family will more than double the burden, and that’s something they don’t want to face. So what we have is men striving daily to reach a certain level of financial comfort before getting married. Unfortunately, a lot of them never get there.
Wokeness and cancel culture too are to blame. The bar for marriage eligibility has been inconsiderably raised high and men would rather stay on their lane and remain single.
If you pay attention to the daily discourse on social media, you will see women saying a man has to earn a certain monthly income before he can qualify to date or even get married. These days, we have women that have completely misunderstood ‘feminism’ to mean waging war against the menfolk.
It’s really too much to bear for most men. So rather than waste time and effort trying to find a woman to settle with, men just stay single.
Ideally, settling down shouldn’t be a burden on one person. Both parties, man and woman, are supposed to be supportive of one another. So, reasons that are related to financial capacity should not really be a problem. But as we all know, things don’t always play out that way.
The purpose of this post is not to blame anyone. It’s just to project what obtains in society today.
