Can Marriage Work Without Love

Marriage can work out even without love. I have known couples who have married only for the sake of marrying but are living together in harmony up to now. Being in love doesn't suffice for a harmonious marriage. Many people marry not for love but for other things other than love and their marriage is sometimes more successful than those who were very much in loved when they tied the knot.

A loveless marriage could work only if the following factors are present in the marriage.

1. Respect
Respect is a very important factor in marriage and even without love if there is respect in a marriage, it could work.

2. Freedom
Freedom is what every person wants in life. There is freedom in a marriage when both partners try to give their partner a space to move and not trying to control things for each one. Freedom makes one able to express himself or herself thereby feeling good. If in a marriage there is freedom for both the husband and wife then the marriage can continue even without being in love.

3. Responsibility
Each one of us have our responsibility to our partner. A husband and a wife must abide by the rule in marriage that to be together for the rest of their lives, they must do their obligation to each other. When marriage vows was made both man and woman have promised each other to be together whatever happens. Doing your responsibility is therefore very important to keep the marriage intact.

4. Cooperation
There must be cooperation between the husband and wife before a loveless marriage could work. Remember, love is out of the way and in order for marriage to work there should be other factors present in a loveless marriage. Cooperation where needed helps in maintaining the marriage.

A loveless marriage may not be a romantic relationship but it could go a long way if both partners have other ways to make the marriage work.

My friend says she wasn't in love with the man she married but for more than thirty years, their marriage has been solid. They don't argue that much because they are concentrated on working and providing for the needs of the family. They don't mind each other’s business because they don't love each other. There is no jealousy, unfaithfulness and other cheating activities. They just want to make the relationship work and have a stable family with the children they have.

I asked my friend how it feels being married to a man whom she doesn't feel love and her answer was very simple, "We made it a point that what we were married for was not to enjoy each other’s company but to make a living and have a family. We both know that love is not an issue but other things were and we know where each one stands."

I was amazed how these couple could make their marriage work without love but their reasons seem to be valid and basing from my friend's situation, I see the point there. Marriage is not all about loving and enjoying things together but it is about what life is and how each one takes it. To others marriage is not a marriage without love and to others marriage is just a responsibility that one should accomplish.