Love And Marriage In Today's Western Culture

In today’s Western Culture divorce rates are at an all time high. Many individuals strongly believe that love is the basis to marry (Dion & Dion, 1991). If love was to disappear from a marriage than that marriage has the grounds to end. It is believed by many (including me before I read this) that love decreases or fades away over time. One of the theories that the article talks about is media could be playing a huge role opinions about marriage and love. The media highlights the bad things about love and marriage, but never the good things. This can give people the impression that love or marriage is hopeless and it will end. Downward social comparison is the comparison of lower people to one’s self to make themselves feel better. The upward social comparison is when individuals compare themselves to people who are better than them. Studies show that downward social comparison benefits a relationship’s well-being. One big problem with the assumption that long term relationships/marriages kill the romance is that this can stop people from wanting to get married. This article argues that romantic love with intensity, engagement, and sexual interest can last. With these three qualities, they have seen most long term relationships last. …show more content…
Passionate love is when someone is wanting to be with their significant other all the time. “They cannot focus because they are always on their mind”. This type of love can contain an obsessive component such as thinking about the other person all the time or uncertainty with the significant other. Companionate love is the lesser intense live. The article defines it as “the affection and tenderness, we might feel for those with whom our lives are deeply entwined”. This relationship does not even necessarily have to be with a significant other but with friends or family. There is not necessarily a sexual desire