For most, marriage is about love but a new US survey has found that many singles don’t necessarily marry for love.
A Match.com survey, which surveyed 5000 people, found that men are more likely than women to marry someone who they don’t love.
The survey found that 31 percent of men admitted they would marry someone who has everything they are looking for in a partner, but who they weren’t in love with compared to 23 percent of women.
The data collected also showed that although men weren’t necessarily interested in finding love, they were interested in settling down, even if the situation was not ideal.
Sex and relationship therapist Doctor Laura Berman who blogs for Match.com said men are likely to commit to a woman they don’t feel romantically linked to so that they don’t feel like they are being left behind.
“Well, even though we often think of men as die-hard commitment-phobes, the truth is that they are just as susceptible to peer pressure as women are,” she said about the survey.
“If they see all of their buddies getting hitched and having kids, they will feel a desire to follow suit, especially if their partner is pressuring them down the aisle.”
The survey also found that 21 percent of men confessed that they would tie the knot with someone that they weren’t sexually attracted to.
Men in their twenties had a stronger urge to marry than those in their thirties, but the desire rose again for men in their forties.
Although Dr Berman says the decision to marry someone who you don’t feel a romantic connection with may seem easy for some men, it isn’t necessarily the right choice and can often end in failed relationships.
“Ultimately, a man will only get to that place of deep commitment and love when he is ready to and you can’t ever force such feelings,” she said.
