This morning I came acrossthis inspiring article, posted by 
The first thought I wanted to add to
What I keep noticing among Europeans, is the notion that there is no point in binding yourself to someone else. Sure, if you are planning to procreate it may be best for the kids to have both parents around, but even then they don't have to be the biological parents. Otherwise, everyone can live their life in the way they see it best. Sure, it is great to share moments with someone you enjoy being with, and these moments could turn into days, weeks, maybe even more. But once it’s over, and usually it’s not that hard to notice when that point is reached, going your separate ways is quite simple, unless you tied yourselves down.
After this had been the norm for innumerable generations, people started changing gradually. First it was the religious aspect of marriage that received less and less attention, until it became abandoned almost entirely. Certainly, this doesn’t go for everyone, as there are still lots of highly religious people, even in Europe. However, the tendency changed from only “a few bad apples” (including many aristocrats) who opted for living in sin, bearing bastards, and getting divorced, to more modern days where a significant number people couldn’t care less about what the priests have to say.
By the mid 20th century it was becoming mainstream for many people in Europe and North America to completely omit church weddings. However, as it was the hay-day of nation states, it was the public notary that replaced the priest, and the hand-scribble you drew on paper took the place of sacred symbols. The union was still supposed to be for life, though there was an option of getting legally divorced, with the same signature of both. As far as sex and procreation, the state didn’t care so much about that. Instead, there was an equally strong cultural force stepping in the place of the church, and that was the family.
Since numerous generations have been subjected to the same traditions, going through the same rituals, obeying the same rules, and growing into extensive families, it was super hard on any individual wishing to go against their traditions. In the end, the family proved to be just as effective in maintaining culture, as religion used to be. However, as the decades progressed, people became more mobile, and thanks to the ever changing technology and their new lifestyles, they also ended up abandoning many aspects of their culture. This type of transformation manifested itself in the sudden changes seen in the 1960’s, and the gradual progressions in subsequent decades. Eventually, even the nuclear family, the last remnant of the formerly rock-solid institution of family, started to fade into the past. What is left, once even that unit has been broken up, are individuals, preferably singles.
I can almost hear the deep sigh of many people at this point, lamenting the abandonment of traditions, and our cultural loss. And certainly, from that point of view it is a sad process, though it’s part of reality we must accept. For that reason, I’d like to switch to the opposite perspective, and celebrate this change. After all, where did all this come from? What made the generation of our (great-)great-grandparents decide to embark in this direction? To me the answer is clear: they wanted freedom from oppression. Just like how at first certain aristocrats decided to free themselves from their king, individuals in the population decided to stop letting religious authorities tell them how to live their lives. Soon the same principle was applied to women who refused to follow their husbands’ or parent’s wishes, and let’s face it: even men, who wanted to be free from the shackles of their own or their wives’ families.
And what about two women who wanted to be together, or two men, or two men and a woman, or two women and a man? At this point the state has become completely unnecessary, after all, it's not needed if all you want was to love someone. However, to be legally recognized as one unit, in order to enjoy the privileges of a married couple, the law can be changed, just like cultural norms. And that is exactly what is happening in more and more places.
In his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra 19th century philosopher Nietsche describes the notion of the Übermensch or Superhuman. This concept of a new human being is not the Aryan master race the Nazis took it to mean, but instead a human being free from the mental, emotional, and cultural manipulation of religion and its followers. More than a century ago, when he wrote about this, these were radically new, even scandalous ideas. From today’s perspective, however, it should be apparent that many people have extended this same concept past religions, involving traditions and cultural norms (even if they may not be fully aware of it, or may not use the term Übermensch). It’s not that they are completely without values, but their new sets of values are beyond religions, and more strikingly, beyond traditions of the family as well.
What can we expect from the future? It’s impossible to say for certain, but fiction may offer us possible directions. One view is explained by Aldous Huxley in his utopian novel Brave New World, where humans are artificially grown in laboratories, so the concept of families are part of a forgotten past. Consequently, society consists of individuals, working, playing, and living side-by-side, often together, but never for too long. This book has been frequently mentioned in the same vein as Orwell’s 1984, pointing to a potential horror scenario we’re heading into. Unlike 1984, Brave New World is not a description of misery. Its people are quite happy, indeed, partaking in the many aspects of fashion, sex, and entertainment… Truly, not much unlike in our modern world.
So to emphasize my point of this long reply to 
Any way we choose individually, we should also acknowledge the fact that thanks to all these brave individuals who have been going against the old-time authorities we are finally starting to break the terror of patriarchy. And let’s not forget, there is still some way to go for that! Are we going to end up in a Brave New World scenario? Maybe. But if so, it will be our brave new world we are creating. Let’s do it right!
Image sources: Pixabay and Goodreads
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