There are plenty of studies detailing the rise of divorces following the varying levels of lockdowns in different locations. Here’s one from September suggesting a 34% rise of divorces in the USA from a similar period the year before.
It’s hardly surprising, of course; after spending 24 hours a day in each other’s company, perhaps for the first time in decades, many couples might re-assess whether their relationship is really what they wanted it to be.
Spare a thought, however, for those relationships that might not have been quite so publicly declared.
We’re talking infidelity, obviously.
It’s not easily measured and the rate changes by location and culture, but perhaps 50% of marriages experience at least one case of infidelity.
Well, that statistic will have taken a massive hit this year.
All those road warriors who would normally spend weeks or even months away from the family home each year have been grounded since March.
Of course, not all of those travellers or their partners stuck at home would have used the opportunity to misbehave, but a significant percentage definitely did, as anyone who’s observed the prevalence of 2nd or even 3rd marriages in the sales team would attest.
Worse, for much of this year the significant wage earner was probably not even leaving the house to travel to their office.
That’s going to have put a real dent in the freedom of either party to engage in “Ugandan Relations” outside the restraints of their wedding vows.
Bill’s Opinion
There probably hasn’t been a year as monogamous as 2020 for decades, perhaps even centuries.
This is excellent news for those who, like me, have married a spouse significantly above their level of attractiveness.
A word of advice for when business travel finally resumes; don’t take an early flight home as a pleasant surprise for your partner. Some knowledge is best unknown.
Can definitely confirm this. I have at least three friends who regularly travelled for work, in particular across Asia, where these opportunities have been reduced to nil. For now.
Happily, each of them appear more happily married than when the year started. So there is that at least.
Yes. In fact this post was prompted by a conversation with a mate who pointed out a mutual friend’s wife was unusually keen to not expand the invite for the end of rugby season camping trip to wives. In a normal year, he’d spend at least 8 weeks overseas.
Call me cynical and suspicious….
You could always be cynical, suspicious, AND correct.
I was more positive in the consideration that a few blokes had their extra curricular cut down, although there is the joke that a few towns in the Phillipines had missed out on a new school room, or a bridge.
My attitude to punching above your weight is that all women have problems. At first I thought that these problems originated in less attractive women through envy, and there is quite a lot of that around. Then when I moved upmarket I found that the hot women have just as many problems. So if you have to put up with problems, you might as well get a hottie.
I’ll confirm this story when I move downmarket. Hah!
Just thought I would inject a bit of Bardonesque into this conversation.