6 Reasons to Get and Stay Married

My new book, Get Married, is out today, and it offers some much-needed good news about marriage as we head into Valentine’s Day, especially at a time when so many voices—from the mainstream media to the Red Pill Right—are talking down marriage. The data tell us that the least lonely, most financially secure, and happiest Americans today are married men and women—and, on average, the happiest children with the best outcomes are in married families, too. 

More good news: I report that four groups of Americans from a diverse array of backgrounds are succeeding at marriage, an institution that matters for all Americans: 1) Asian Americans, 2) College-educated Americans, 3) Conservative Americans, and 4) Religious Americans. 

Here are six main findings from Get Married that spotlight the value of marriage for men, women, and children and the path to forging a strong, stable, and happy union in twenty-first century America.

1. Nothing predicts happiness for Americans better than (a good) marriage.

Not money, education, work, or even sex.

2. Divorce is down since 1980.

It's no longer the case that "1-in-2 marriages end in divorce." Today, most marriages go the distance.

3. Boys raised apart from an intact family are more likely to go to jail than graduate from college.

By contrast, young men raised in an intact family are about 4 times more likely to graduate from college than land in jail or prison.

So, given the importance of marriage for men, women, and children, what's the secret to a happy and stable marriage?

4. Regular date nights. 

Couples with regular date nights are happier, more sexually satisfied, and less divorce prone.

5. A We-Before-Me approach to marriage. 

Couples who take a we-before-me approach to married life by, for instance, relying on joint checking accounts are happier and less prone to divorce than couples who prize autonomy, including in their financial affairs.

6. Churchgoing.

Religious couples are happier, less divorce prone, and, surprisingly, even have more sex than secular couples.

To find out more about the state of our unions, the value of marriage, and additional ways to strengthen your own relationship, get a copy of my book, Get Married.