Maybe it's less a "Seal of Approval" and more a contract? Formalising things does make them easier for society. It is easy to give people offence if you don't know the intricate details of their relationships (eg asking Tracy how Fred is when they've just split up with Fred, inviting "Tracy and Fred" to your wedding when Fred is just a FWB and Tracy will be horrified at people assuming they're a *serious couple*, not inviting Fred to your wedding and having Tracy offended that you don't take their relationship seriously just because they're not married etc etc) If you know people are married, then it's easier to make a few ground assumptions about their relationship [Yes, I know you think people shouldn't make assumptions about anyone, ever, but given that I think the world couldn't actually work in this scenario it's better to formulise it so people make mainly-right assumptions, not mainly-wrong ones]
Also, it makes it easier to talk about stuff. You could just say "we have this thing of mutual obligation and trust etc etc" but there's a _lot_ of etc etc - it's easier to say "A standard marriage with a side order of X" than have to explain the whole thing from the bottom up.
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dancing_serpent
(no subject)
Date: 2008-06-23 10:41 am (UTC)Also, it makes it easier to talk about stuff. You could just say "we have this thing of mutual obligation and trust etc etc" but there's a _lot_ of etc etc - it's easier to say "A standard marriage with a side order of X" than have to explain the whole thing from the bottom up.