3 Terrible Reasons to Get Married (And 4 Really Good Ones)

Whatever it is, getting married to prove something to someone—or yourself—is a god awful reason to do it.

On the other hand, if you can take an honest look at your relationship and say that none of these terrible reasons to get married apply to your situation, then great.

There’s nothing wrong with receiving these perks, but if they’re the only reason you’re marrying someone—i.e. committing to them until death do you part—then something’s not quite right.

A healthy relationship is not a relationship without arguments. A healthy relationship is a relationship with healthy arguments.

fights are inevitable, so you need to make sure you’re fighting well before you get married. Otherwise, be prepared to deal with either a very short, tumultuous marriage or a very long, miserable marriage.

Stop and ask yourself this about your relationship: are your lives going in the same direction and do you share similar values ? Or is there friction when it comes to big life decisions ? Do your career aspirations and/or lifestyles mesh well with one another?

Essentially, if one of you has to give up on your dreams, your career, your passions, it’s just not going to work. One or both of you will wind up miserable and resenting each other.

A good friendship involves accepting one another unconditionally , flaws and all. They might annoy you in some ways and piss you off in others, but at the end of the day, you still want to be there for them and you want them to be there for you.

A marriage—and any relationship, really—is something that is created by two people. It’s a project, not an obligation.

And like any project worth doing in life, it can be challenging at times, but it should also be exciting and, in the end, worth it for both of you.