The Gift of Impermanence

2024-10-31

I’m late publishing this piece this month because, ironically, I couldn’t find the space to be present for it. This mental exhaustion, however, got me thinking about impermanence and presence.In the US, over 50% of first marriages end in divorce. The number rises to 65% in second marriages, and for third marriages, 75%. If one of those subsequent marriages (the 2nd or 3rd) is to someone who entered the picture as an extra-marital affair partner, the odds immediately jump to above 80%. It’s a fasci...

I’m late publishing this piece this month because, ironically, I couldn’t find the space to be present for it. This mental exhaustion, however, got me thinking about impermanence and presence.

In the US, over 50% of first marriages end in divorce. The number rises to 65% in second marriages, and for third marriages, 75%. If one of those subsequent marriages (the 2nd or 3rd) is to someone who entered the picture as an extra-marital affair partner, the odds immediately jump to above 80%. It’s a fascinating phenomenon, and one I will surely write about in the future. For the sake of our current conversation, however, let’s stick with first marriages.

The “So What?” is that relationships are inherently impermanent due to our human condition. So maybe looking at the manner in which a marriage ends isn’t the most important thing to consider.

Get full access to The Intimate Philosopher at emmasmithphd.substack.com/subscribe

Comments (3)