Fight the Culture Wars — Get Married!

The institution of marriage is under attack in popular culture. Celebrating the single life, childlessness, and the pursuit of individual self-fulfillment, many journalists, academics, and Hollywood script writers view marriage and parenthood as barriers to happiness. But Brad Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, says they’ve got it all wrong. The sociological data show that married people live longer, healthier, wealthier, happier lives on average than their unmarried peers.

Wilcox makes a powerful case in his new book, Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization. I was privileged to interview him in a Jefferson Council webinar earlier this week. Bacon’s Rebellion readers will especially enjoy Wilcox’s explanation of why conservatives, religious people, Asian-Americans, and “strivers” (which admittedly includes college-educated liberals) have stronger marriages on average than other Americans.

Watch the half-hour video, buy Wilcox’s book, check out the Jefferson Council website, and donate to the Council so it can bring cool interviews to your attention. — JAB


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14 responses to “Fight the Culture Wars — Get Married!”

  1. Carter Melton Avatar
    Carter Melton

    I read the New York Times so I can keep up with what the opposition is thinking.

    One slow day I read their column on personal advice on marriage and dating…..Then I made a mistake of reading the "comments". I never realized how many neurotic, man-hating women there were in the Western Hemisphere.

    Thank you Jesus for leading me to the right decision 58 years ago.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      The NYT is not YOUR opposition.

  2. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Don’t get married. Find a woman who can’t stand you and buy her a house.

  3. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Don't be a childless cat lady? I guess you could marry and still fit that description….

    Going through a surgical recovery period that would be unthinkable without the love of my life. No need to sell me on the value of a committed life partner. I owe her bigly again.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      Married men live longer. Seemingly.

    2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      The cat lady pejorative generator (current Republican VP candidate) also says that childless people should pay more taxes than those with children…. of course they already do… but he means a higher tax rate.. as a punishment…

      1. Stephen Haner Avatar
        Stephen Haner

        As an inducement, certainly…Hey, plenty of reason to resent those we once called DINKS.

        1. Marty Chapman Avatar
          Marty Chapman

          Interesting that Eric believes a higher tax rate is a punishment!

  4. how_it_works Avatar
    how_it_works

    Get married..and hope you don't end up divorced and broke.

    1. Marty Chapman Avatar
      Marty Chapman

      no risk, no reward.

    2. Carter Melton Avatar
      Carter Melton

      "Hope" is not a strategy

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        It is to the women who marry Republicans.

  5. VaPragamtist Avatar
    VaPragamtist

    Sure, good marriages come with built-in social and emotional support; financial stability with dual incomes and/or shared expenses, and encouragement for healthier behaviors.

    But those outcomes depend on quality of marriage. I'd also be interested to see how the author accounts for selection bias (healthier, wealthier, and happier individuals may be more likely to get married in the first place, which can skew the data).

    1. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      Then listen to it and read the book…
      All that touched in the discussion.
      In more depth in the book.

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