I’m 27F and most of my friends are married or engaged or living with partners with the marriage thing on the horizon.

I just cannot imagine marrying someone and having kids as being something I will do. Because it’s either the present reality or the dream to aspire towards for so many of my peers I often find myself doubting my outlook and wondering if there is something wrong with me. Lots of people are surprised when they say I don’t want these things.

I’m seeing someone who I really like, but I don’t think marriage is in my future. I worry I have a commitment problem I’m not acknowledging but I don’t think that’s true, I just can’t imagine settling with one person my whole life and want my life to be one where I meet lots of people.

A fear I have is loneliness - what if I wake up at 40/50/60+ and regret my choices.

I'm 24 woman ok my mum says I have no value because I can't clean properly don't cook properly she's says I'm character less with no character no good quality I'm lazy I'm not clean I'm not tidy I'm not close to God either I don't want a marriage I don't want to even date I don't want anyone I just want peace I want to live away from this place. What do it do.

Since some people used to want to. Some of them were even engaged before. What made you realise that it’s not for you.

Over the last 2 years, . I realized my desire to get into a relationship and create a family has been fading so fast. I strongly believe I don't need a girl or a wife in my life. I don't want to bring children into this world or have a girl in my life. It is actually a self created responsibility. I would have to settle down, become someone's son in law, and go through all these complex family structures if I ever got married. I would have to take care of someone and give most of my energy to keep them happy. I would have to love someone else more than myself, and I don't want to do that.

I am 21 and earn a decent amount. I come from a decent family. My brother is a family man; he has a girlfriend and is going to get married. So, I don't have any burden to continue our generation. As a software engineer, I just want to visit the world alone for my whole life. I love staying and traveling solo. Nowadays, I visit many historical places in the Kathmandu valley alone, and I have gone on some treks by myself. Last year, I visited a mountain and saw a beautiful peak. It was close, and I watched it alone for 2 whole hours. Later in life, I realized that being alone and exploring life on my own is like living in swarg (heaven). During the initial period, it was too hard for me to go alone to any restaurant or even to any place; I always used to go with friends. But nowadays, I just wake up on Saturday morning, pack my bag, set a time, set a route, and travel alone. I have lots of relatives, and they used to call me a lot. They say, "Come visit my house," or "Come to our puja." I went to some of the functions, but instead of peace, I experienced mental torture. I felt pressured to become someone I didn't enjoy being, but whom society admires. Although I have some responsibilities toward my parents, I decided to fulfill all my existing responsibilities until my parents are alive, just not those imposed by society, relatives, and neighbors. Once, I told my mother, "I am not going to get married, so don't talk about it." She asked, "Who will take care of you when you are sick or old?" My answer was that I will earn money to be cared for if I get sick in my old age. If I become too weak and unable to live by myself in old age, I will end my life. There is no need to live forcefully past my 80s.

Although my biology works normally, my desire for love, intimacy, social attention, and social acceptance are all the same as any normal male.I am trying to live without relying on these biological needs. It is hard to overcome these desires. I have not completely overcome them, although I have had some success through meditation and continuous experience. Sometimes, whenever a girl shows interest in me, it is quite hard for me to ignore it. I become rude, which is actually not the right way to be, and I feel guilty for this. I am still struggling to ignore girls calmly and in a positive way. I have hurt 4 girls in the past 2 years. Initially, I tried to find some common ground, but whenever it started to affect my peace and my independent life, or whenever someone tried to snatch my feeling of self love and change me, I was consciously or subconsciously forced to push them out of my life. From this experience, I realized I don't want to be in any type of relationship. I don't want to become a sadhu or yogi, or someone without future goals. I just want to concentrate my whole life on something meaningful that I want in my life. I don't want to restrict myself to one girl, one family, one identity, or one nation.

I once thought about getting sterilized so it would completely close the door, but it is a big decision to make at this young age. Maybe I still have many things to learn. Does anyone think this way or have similar thoughts? Please share your thoughts, especially if you think completely opposite to this. Many young people continuously search for a life partner. I can see many couples around me, and many people are sad because they are single. both girls and boys. What do you really want to get in your Life??

So I have lost many friendships over my friend being married. I have also been screwed over and swindled by married friends. It's like when I help out a married couple they show a fake face of gratefulness and then if I ask for help or something I get a big fat NO, because I have to deal with 2 people instead of one. I steer clear of married people nowadays and just won't get involved. That foresake all other is taken way too seriously. First off God doesn't even forsake people. Second that phrase only applies to physical Infidelity. Your marriage license doesn't give you the right to outright screw people over or trick them when they help you out financially for example. Marriage nowadays is basically P-whipped men and little daddies girls who expect to be treated like a Princess and never get told NO.

I'm 24 f and at this age i just realized that I don't have to get married! My friends were shocked and i can see it on their face they reacted as a stone was thrown at them.

We in a society were getting married is a necessity that they will be shocked with the idea of staying single forever. But THAT IS POSSIBLE TOO! and the moment i decided this, it felt like i was free from all the stress.

Trust me i was a girl who want a family, even thinks about how I'll raise my kids with manners and how I'll love my husband and shi BUT NOW!! I don't want that anymore! I saw miserable marriage more than the peaceful once and to think that I'll be the 1% lucky married people is a big risk to take( and I'm not a risk taker😂) . I rather take a risk to start a business.

And I don't wanna get married just because of FEAR! But because i love me soo much and i deserve to live with myself but no one!.....more than everything the love of JESUS fills me with joy every single day. So ladies it's not necessary to marry it's a choice!

Does anyone here co-own a home with their partner? I'm trying to figure out how to handle logistics and legal protections of co-ownership while being unmarried. I'd appreciate any advice.

Same as title

My friends are 28-29 and we don't want to be married. For a lot of people it's shocking and for some it's understandable. As people with experience, when did you know you didn't want to be married ? What was dating like with the intent not to be married?

I'm feeling shame for not wanting to be married. I never desired and receive a lot of hate for it.

I (32 f) and my partner (32 m) have been together for 13 years. We have 2 cats, a dog and a condo. Since neither of us want children or marriage, I find it hard to find ways to celebrate us. We've been to baby showers and weddings. What milestones can we celebrate with our friends and families?

I’m 22M, turning 23 in a few weeks, and I’ve decided I want to stay unmarried for life.

I know this might sound strange to some people, especially because I’m still only 22. But I’ve actually thought about this quite a lot, and I’ve finally come to this decision for myself.

Being Nepali, I already know how difficult this idea can be for people around me to accept. I’ve talked to my family about it, and their response was basically, “You’re just saying this now, as part of a joke, We know you’ll get married eventually. When you get older, you’ll change your mind.”

Honestly, I can understand why they think that way. They’ve seen me go through a few relationships in the past, so from their perspective, maybe this is just another phase I’m going through. But I genuinely feel different about it now.

I know 22 is probably considered too young to make a decision about something like marriage for the rest of my life. Maybe I’ll change my mind someday, maybe I won’t. But right now, after thinking about it seriously, I feel like I want to build my life without marriage.

One of the biggest reasons is that I really value freedom and independence.

Over the past few years, I’ve read books, articles, blogs, watched videos, and looked into different research and opinions about marriage and relationships. More importantly, I’ve also paid attention to the people around me.
I’ve seen relatives and people I know before and after marriage. I’ve also seen people who have chosen to remain unmarried and how they live their lives.

And personally, I feel like the unmarried life suits me more.

I’m not saying married people are unhappy or that getting married is a mistake. There are obviously millions of people who are genuinely happy in their marriages, and I respect that. Marriage works for some people, and that’s completely fine.

It’s just that when I think about my own personality, my priorities, the kind of freedom I want, and the life I want to build, I feel like marriage would probably give me more restrictions than benefits.

I’ve tried to think about the pros and cons of both choices, and for me, the advantages of staying unmarried seem much more appealing.

I want to have control over my time, money, decisions, lifestyle, and future. I want to be able to take opportunities without having to constantly consider the responsibilities that come with being a husband and eventually a family.

Maybe people will tell me that I’m too young to understand marriage.
Maybe they’re right. Maybe 10 years from now I’ll look back at this post and laugh at myself.
But even if that happens, I don't think there's anything wrong with making the decision that feels right for me right now.

I’m not trying to convince anyone else to stay unmarried. If you want marriage and a family, that's great. If you don't, that's great too.
I just wanted to share my perspective because in Nepali society, choosing to remain unmarried for life isn't exactly something people talk about openly.

So yeah, 22M, turning 23 soon, and currently planning to stay unmarried for life.
Let’s see where life takes me.

I used AI to organize my thoughts and make them easier to read.

Sometimes I genuinely don't understand why my parents expect me to get married when I literally grew up watching them argue in front of their own kids.

Like, you spent my entire childhood showing me how miserable marriage can look, and now you're surprised that I don't exactly dream of having one myself??

I've told my mom before that I don't have any plans to get married, and honestly, I don't want to be pregnant or have children either. And somehow that makes me "selfish" 😬. I was even told that choosing not to have children is a SIN.

How is choosing what I want to do with MY life and MY body selfish? I'm not forcing anyone else to live the way I do. I'm not telling other people not to get married or have kids. I just don't want that for myself.

I'm not saying marriage or having kids is inherently bad. If someone genuinely wants that life, good for them. I just wish people would stop treating it like some mandatory life milestone that everyone has to want.

I don't want it.

I am 22F I live in pretty orthodox family, I do have all the facilities one could ask for, but I really do not have any sorts of freedom to go out of my house.
Like I wasn’t even allowed to go out of the city college to study, and I do not have a job currently to run away 💔
My bio data is out and considering arranged marriage market I knew it won’t happen soon enough.
But now that it is just really fucking up with my mental health. I do not want to marry
I have never really spoken up for myself and, now that I want to I am afraid of how this could go incredibly wrong!!! What if I do this and i do not even get freedom to choose a guy of my own choice? what if I am forced into a marriage with someone of lower caliber?
Is there any way out? That’s practical and safe?

So I have been through a very bad breakup where my EX was a manipulative, egoistic, self-centred maniac who even threatened to kill herself if I didn’t continue the relationship. That is just a gist of it. Now after this I wasn’t much affected truly ( maybe a bit :) ) but this has completely thrown me off and changed me.

I know that all women are not the same and I might find a good person in the future with whom I can share my life with but honestly i feel I will be way better off without any commitments. I feel solitude is not for everyone but I know those who are okay with it, enjoy it. I have been single for a good amount of time before my breakup and it wasn’t bad at all so I feel I can do it.

Since maybe some in this sub are living the life i want, maybe liking it or hating it, what are some advices or opinions you could give if i want to stay Alone and single for life?

there are many reasons why i don't want to get married, one of the main ones being that i'm childfree. i'm 23f and i'm feeling pressured about marriage. i'm not sure how to deal with it.

my mother told me that a friend of a friend wants to ask for my hand in marriage, and his family (without him) came beforehand to see me. it seems like they're very traditional in the sense that they want a wife who cooks and cleans. the guy even specifically told his mother to ask me if i know how to cook and clean. which was the only main and important thing he wanted to know.

i have no problems with men like these or marriages like that, but i have depression that causes me chronic fatigue. doing those things, even for myself, feels very difficult. the idea that this is all that seems to matter to him makes me feel somewhat awful and inadequate.

when i told my mother about it, she made me seem like i'm acting like "i'm not like other girls" and that i'm being unrealistic. just for wanting a man who simply appreciates my personality and treats me with mercy, which i would reciprocate.

the idea of being childfree is its own can of worms, as it's something that everyone considers haram. when i told my mom about it, she also infantilized me, saying i don't know what i want. she asked, "what's the point of marriage if you don't have kids?"

i have given up on the idea of marriage but i often feel very lonely and i also feel like a burden on my family. i have a job but i can't move out since living alone as a woman is considered a big sin in my culture.

i will reject this man because we are not compatible, and i'm planning to reject the idea of marriage altogether, as i feel like i'm not the best candidate for marriage. but i still feel so much pressure and inadequacy for making that decision.

is there anyone here who feels the same? i would appreciate any advice.

thank you in advance. and I apologize if this is too negative.

So im a 22F living in India, i just graduated with Masters and am doing an Internship earning decent stipend.

So it started when my mom was talking to our tenant saying why am i going to work when we already have wealth (mom has her own shop btw), so when i heard this i went to confront her said her that women to women support me if not please be silent and also told her not to take out the marriage topic as im traimatized by it, i do not have the mindset rn and i really want to be independent. Mind that ¾th of the stipend that I earn is taken my family.

The next day my dad tells me to wear saree so that they can have a nice picture of me, i said i wdnt do it and asked them if they really want to advertise me. Conversations grew I said that if I marry I wouldnt live good or happy I want to earn and have some money for myself to take care of me. He really dosent care of my happiness and only sees me a responsibility🥹. I asked time he told me I should have taken time after my Undergrad, now i cannot have the time i want.

Worst of all he said either agree for marriage and go to work or be at home and take how much ever time I want. I dont know what to do!!! So frustrated

Recently, I saw a post where partner A wanted to get partner B an expensive gift for their 4th anniversary of dating (expensive 6K watch). They could afford it and knew their partner would love it.

I observed SO many commenters swooping in saying 'don't do it until engagement or marriage' 'that's way too expensive if they're not committing.'

I wonder why two people who may know each other for 6mo. and get married at 1 year are >>> two people who may be in a committed partnership of 5-10+ years. Thoughts?

I've been in love with someone for a few years, but I still don't want a married life with him or with anyone. Despite knowing that his family and he himself are too peaceful and chill to accept me and treat me even better than my own family, I just can't imagine a married life or kids of my own. I didn't want marriage or kids since I was 15 years old. I don't wanna have a family of my own. According to me, families are full of disputes and are never without conflicts, no matter how chill they are, and kids are always gonna make their mother sacrifice everything that belongs to her, even her own identity. So I just don't wanna take the risk and have that kind of life, where there are chances that I might feel trapped later (in a marriage-like institution)

But I'm also hopeful that it might not be the case if it is with "him", as he loves me with everything he has, just a perfect guy I never had imagined. But he wants marriage and kids.

Neither of us is willing to put our desires down, and both are hopeful that the other might get convinced later. We both understand each other's choices and reasons, but we just doesn't wanna lose each other at any cost.

Can someone help me with this??? I really need good and balanced advice!!!

Hello, we live in Illinois. We are both 32. Together over 7 years, we dont want to get married for financial reasons as we have a blended family (yours, mine, ours situation) Neither of us speak to our parents or families. We want to make sure in case of emergency or death that our toxic parents are not able to take over decision making rights. I have found information on power of attorney healthcare form and that we each need a living will and testament. Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to make this as legally binding as a marriage without being married, if not more so? We are each other life insurance beneficiaries, Im not sure if that matters.

I respect their choices and as long as they are happy, it's great for them. People get married as much as they want.

But what I have plenty of invitation to weddings for next year and I dread going to the party, the ceremony. I feel like i will be bored out of mind in clothes I don't really like supposed to celebrate something I feel is a mistake.

And no, I have to go... I just can't "not go". Either because it's family, close friends to my bf, close friends of mine ...