Doctor Cupid: Do all relationships have to lead to marriage?

The truth is that most people enter into relationships, many of them serious, with the hope that they will end up with the person that they’re in a relationship with.

But most of the time, this does not happen. For so many reasons, relationships turn sour and then end, and injured parties are left to pick up the pieces of themselves following the relationships.

It is so tragic that some people even alter the course of their lives over the end of a relationship that they thought was going somewhere meaningful.

While we understand that it makes no sense to enter into a relationship with the knowledge that it will end someday, it may actually be beneficial to us to do that.

Relationships end for so many reasons: a lack of communication, grief/loss, lack of commitment, couples grow apart, and a myriad other reasons that we cannot completely cover in this article.

Because of this, and the simple fact that we cannot predict the future, it is in our best interest to enter into relationships believing that it will not end in marriage.

Have you ever noticed that an overwhelming number of relationships people entered into “just for the fun” end up becoming something serious? This is because both parties entered into the relationship without any expectations, and so, they allowed their true selves to blossom in the relationship without any manipulation or pretence.

Of course, these relationships can also turn sour when one partner develops feelings while the other does not, but in most of these relationships, both parties can get the most out of the relationship without any lofty expectations.

Yes, Nigeria – Africa especially – believes that marriage is the most important end result of every relationship, but sometimes, it’s better to just relax and have fun with life, doing only things that you wholeheartedly want to do.

If the subject of marriage comes up and it’s something you’re interested in, you can take up the offer, but at least you’ll know it’s something you want at that moment, not something you’ve been pining for forever.

And that’s our analysis of the matter. What do you think? Do you think all relationships should lead to marriage? Let us know in the comments section below.