Marriage: What age is the earliest

[Joe Norris]

you find appropriate?

My parents got married at ~22....that'd be way too early for me...but I know some people do it and are successful

I'm thinking around 26 would be the earliest I'd start considering it...if I was with the right chick

[filmfanatic24]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I got married at 24. Seemed like the right time for me, but I was never much of a "date every girl in sight" kind of guy.

[TheSinisterUrge]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I got married at 26, and was very glad to have waited a bit longer. I had friends that were getting married at 21 and 22...their marriages are still going well, but there is no way in hell that I would have been ready at that age.

BTW, I'm 34 now.

[pieces of eight]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

mid-twenties is about right. You are usually done with college and gainfully employed.

[billyheisman]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I'm 29 and it just now starting to seem like something I'd be ready for.

[blackPHOGmoan]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

Parents were 22 when they wed. I'm 24 and haven't really thought about it. Nor have I convinced a lady I wasn't a drunken idiot.

[Hoopo]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I didn't even consider it until I was 40. I've never seen or heard of any convincing evidence that the benefits of marriage outweigh the enormous disadvantages.

[RandytheHelpfulPineapple]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I'm 24 right now-- here's my (potentially inept) perspective:

Seems to me that who you marry (or don't) is the most important decision of your life. Marrying the wrong girl can lead to financial woes at the best, and years of despair at the worst. Marrying the right girl can improve your standing (socially, financially, spiritually, emotionally, etc.) and lead to a sense of fulfillment, dare I say happiness.

I think that everyone should spend time dating a wide range of people-- those that are ms. right and those that are ms. wrong. It gives you a better perspective as to who you are and how you want to be. It also increases the chances of you meeting someone that does match up with you.

For these reasons, I wouldn't consider marriage before 28. I came out of college with the idea that you should start looking for a girl to settle down with-- that I was ready. What I'm realizing now is that you shouldn't force it or be too eager to get tied up. You should take some time to develop your own identity and do the things that you want to do, before jumping into a mutual identity with someone. Being single is sometimes a rocky road, but sometimes you have to fail a few times in order to enjoy success.

[Hawker007]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

[quote author=Hoopo link=topic=1362.msg14660#msg14660 date=1285915417]
I didn't even consider it until I was 40. I've never seen or heard of any convincing evidence that the benefits of marriage outweigh the enormous disadvantages.
[/quote]

Well, if you want to have kids, it is pretty much nothing but advantages. And most (not all) people that get married plan on having kids at some point.

There are also tax advantages and 2 incomes to support a household. These are just a few besides the obvious reasons involving "love".

I am not by any means saying that marriage is all that, far from it actually. I'm just giving you some evidence on why it could be an advantage.

[RandytheHelpfulPineapple]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

[quote author=Hoopo link=topic=1362.msg14660#msg14660 date=1285915417]
I didn't even consider it until I was 40. I've never seen or heard of any convincing evidence that the benefits of marriage outweigh the enormous disadvantages.
[/quote]

A married man lives 9.5 years longer than a single man on average.

[cyclist]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

[quote author=RandytheHelpfulPineapple link=topic=1362.msg14692#msg14692 date=1285941973]
[quote author=Hoopo link=topic=1362.msg14660#msg14660 date=1285915417]
I didn't even consider it until I was 40. I've never seen or heard of any convincing evidence that the benefits of marriage outweigh the enormous disadvantages.
[/quote]

A married man lives 9.5 years longer than a single man on average.
[/quote]

Actually, it is not longer, it just seems that way !

Seriously though, I was 21 going into marriage number 1 and 35 going into my present marriage. Probably too young on the first and it did come to a divorce 12 years later.

Best words of advice from me: everyone is different on the earliest age to marry (or not). That's life.

[CStop]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

[quote author=Joe Norris link=topic=1362.msg14597#msg14597 date=1285881306]
you find appropriate?

My parents got married at ~22....that'd be way too early for me...but I know some people do it and are successful

I'm thinking around 26 would be the earliest I'd start considering it...if I was with the right chick
[/quote]

Never plan an age to be married. You might get panicky and do something stupid when that age rolls around.

On the flip side...I've got a women in my office that had her life planned out. Marriage at 24. Kids at 27. She is coming close to 27 now and gets depressed that she has not accomplished these things. Silly women.

[Joe Norris]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I agree that planning an age isn't smart...my point was just that I wouldn't even start to consider marriage until I was at least 26

And I go to extra lengths to make sure that I don't have to get married for other reasons----->pregnancy


my plan, you ask? always ITB

[blackPHOGmoan]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

It is much more socially acceptable for man and woman to live together without marriage now. It wasn't like that in previous generations (history lesson: the more you know!). I have one friend who is married (happened this summer), and the rest aren't even remotely close. I also run/ran around with an immature crowd, which isn't appealing to women.

If I married my 21 year old self, I would divorce me. At 30, I will probably want to divorce my 25 year old self too.

[CStop]

Re: Marriage: What age is the earliest

I got married at 31. No way would I have done it before 28-29.