Wait... eHarmony guy Dr. Neil Clark Warren tells us not to get married?
(CBS) - Dr. Neil Clark Warren, founder and chairman of eHarmony - he's the guy on those commercials trying to convince lonely singles to sign up to meet their match online - just said, "On second thought, don't get married."
What?!
That's the title of his latest piece on Huffington Post where he is a contributor.
Yesterday, the clinical psychologist and author told readers that recent stats released by the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that "Americans may no longer need marriage."
"For the first time ever, fewer than half of the households in the United States are married couples. In the past decade, the number of unmarried couples increased 25 percent as more people chose to cohabitate," he explained. "A Pew Research Center study last year put it more succinctly, finding an increasing number of Americans now believes marriage is 'becoming obsolete.'"
So okay, eHarmony guy... Why are you telling unmarried humans out there to shell out hard-earned dollars ($59.95 per month to be exact) for your online dating service then? So they can make new friends? (Or, are you merely worried that once the entire U.S. population has been paired up that there would be no one left to use your handy matchmaking service? Just saying...)
"I'm not trying to say that marriage is not in trouble," Warren added. "I am trying to say that there are some clear answers to the question of how marriage can get uniformly more satisfying for the people involved."
We delved further into Warren's post and realized that he's merely stating that when done the right way (as in, choosing the best partner), marriage is a beautiful thing... So hey, couples - you better think before you march down the aisle! Are you marrying (or have you married) the right person? (But don't freak out or anything.)
True story - there are too many marriages out there that end in divorce - or worse, miserable marriages that seem to last forever and annoy everyone involved. Warren urges to think clearly before making the super-significant commitment.
"But the skill of choosing a marriage partner has often been treated as relatively unimportant in our society and a whole lot less complex than it actually is," he pointed out. "And herein lies the secret of why marriage has often turned out so disappointingly for so many."
Warren, we totally get you. Just one request - can eHarmony provide a nifty service that marries off perfect pairs? Because, some of us have been on countless dates using your magic algorithm and ended up with total duds. (Again, just saying.) Thanks.
