Marriage keeps you closer?

Hello :)

Now this is a topic I've been thinking about a lot lately. I've been seeing many couples married and not and how their relationships are working when things go wrong. I know this guy who had been seeing his girlfriend for maybe 7 years or so... They never got married. They lived separately for a long time because she has a child and, I guess, it didn't seem practical. I don't really know. Anyhow, seven years is a long time go get to know somebody. We honestly weren't expecting marriage now but they acted like they were and even referred to each other as husband and wife. And now, about a year, a year and a half ago, things gone wrong. He lost his job, he could barely support himself (and his dog). What surprised me is that she left him. Just like that, after seven years. Now, I do not know all the details but I know that came out of the blue. Sure, loosing a job in my country is a really big problem (as everywhere) and with the lack of money, problems just got bigger. They fought a lot and eventually it became so bad that they broke up. I'm wondering now if things would be different if they were married. I personally think that you shouldn't stay with someone if things aren't well between you just because of some paper. But I also see that married couples try harder to make things better. They (mostly) fight for each other. I wonder would they have stayed together or not. I see my parents. Things haven't been easy for them either and I honestly think if there weren't for me and my brother and if they weren't married, they would most probably break up. I'm not saying that either staying together nor braking up is good or bad. It depends on situation and people involved, but it's a fact that even that little piece of paper keeps people together.

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What happens?