The Three Types of Commitment that Keep Marriages Together

At the core of every successful marriage is commitment. According to a recent article in Psychology Today, there are three types of commitment that keep marriages together:

• Moral commitment
• Structural commitment
• Personal commitment
• Moral Commitment

This is when spouses are committed to each other for religious reasons, because they feel that they would be judged negatively if they got a divorce or out of a sense of duty.

STRUCTURAL COMMITMENT

This is when spouses are committed to each other because their lives have become entangled with children, a family home, shared incomes, shared friends and more.

PERSONAL COMMITMENT

While moral commitment and structural commitment are based on external factors, personal commitment is based on internal factors. When spouses are personally or emotionally committed to each other, they stay together because they “see their relationship and their emotional bond as the most important thing in their lives, and stay married because they want to, not out of necessity or a sense of responsibility.”

IS A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE A HAPPY MARRIAGE?

Psychology Today asserts that a personal commitment is the most meaningful. Arguably, in a moral commitment or structural commitment, spouses may be more committed to the marriage itself than to each other. On the other hand, a personal commitment involves an emotional bond between the two spouses. While moral commitment or structural commitment may keep a marriage together, they do not necessarily make it a happy marriage.

Of course, a personal commitment is one that requires work. Spouses must take steps to work together and show each other affection to keep this commitment alive. Furthermore, one spouse demonstrating such a commitment does not guarantee that the other will reciprocate. Both parties need to share the commitment for mutual happiness.

THERE IS NO NEED TO STAY IN AN UNHAPPY MARRIAGE

Perhaps you have put in the work. Perhaps you have tried to build that personal commitment, only to find that you are plodding on unhappily in a marriage that is being held together by external forces. Sometimes, an emotional commitment cannot be forced. Sometimes, a divorce may be a step toward both you and your spouse gaining happiness separately.

If you would like to learn more about divorce, an experienced attorney at the law firm of Jamie Graham & Associates, PLLC, can explain the process to you and answer any questions you may have.