Posted 1:38 AM by Blah blah

Marriage Does Not Change Outlook on Life -Study (Reuters):

Most newlyweds experience a brief emotional bounce after their wedding, but they eventually return to the same outlook they had on life before they tied the knot, according to a study released on Sunday.

"We found that people were no more satisfied after marriage than they were prior to marriage," the researchers said....

The study, which took 15 years to complete, also found that people who were already satisfied with their lives before marriage were more likely to stay married longer.

"People who get married and stay married are more satisfied than average long before the marriage has occurred," the study said....

Dorian Solot, co-founder of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, said the study showed marriage was not a cure-all.

"I think it reminds us that there's no magic ticket to happiness. Wedding bells might do it for some people, but true happiness is about you and your own life, not your marital status," said Solot, who also co-wrote Unmarried to Each Other.

While long-term marriages tend to be happy, a constant search for that initial euphoria could be disastrous, said David Popenoe, co-director of the National Marriage Project, a Rutgers University-based think tank on marriage trends.

"It may be one reason for divorce is they are looking to maintain that high level of happiness throughout the marriage, which is kind of impossible for most people," he said.