Cohabitate before marriage?

Hello! How are you guys? Today I would like to talk about something very common these days. I'm talking about cohabiting in a relationship. Some years ago, it was more common that couples to get married after dating for some time. Maybe it is because cultural things have changed or because new generations are more afraid of commitment. But the reality is that every day it is more usual that couples prefer to cohabit with their partners instead of getting married.  

Is there something wrong with the idea of living with a person before getting married? A lot of people think that actually it is a very good way to get to know their partner deeply. Some people state that living with your partner can help you to know if you really want to live with that person and get married someday. Also, in that way you can see and know the behaviors of that person which could be more difficult to see if you do not share day by day with your partner. However, is this really true? Could cohabitate be the best way to guarantee a good and lasting relationship? In class this week we discussed the disadvantages and risks of cohabiting with your couple before getting married.  

Although cohabiting can sound like a good option, it increases the risk of divorce and decreases the probability of marriage. One cause of this is that because there is no commitment, this diminishes the value of marriage. Usually, in a couple that cohabitates, women tend to desire and seek marriage in the future, while men usually just seek for having an open relationship without commitment and sex. 

When couples have been cohabitating for a while, they are used to having separate lives. That means that they just share superficial things but do not share things like bank accounts, health insurance, etc. Dou to that, when couples who cohabit want to get married, it is more difficult for them to start to share this kind of thing because they are used to living separate lives in that respect.  

So, what should people do instead of cohabiting? In class, we talk about the best way to have a successful and good relationship is to go on dates before to married. There is a difference between go on dates and just hanging out. When couples have dates, they have the opportunity to put effort to know and build a relationship. Dates are usually planned and paid for, so m can show and practice qualities like being a provider and protective. Although it is not a requirement to have a lot of money to go on dates. Sometimes little but special things like a nice walk or going for ice cream can help the relationship to become stronger.  

In my personal and religious opinion, it is very important to take and respect time and always seek for something more than just casual and without commitment relationships. What do you think about this? I would love to hear your opinion. You can leave a comment below!