Can't we all just stay together?

I don't think anyone marries with the thought that they can always get divorced if times get tough.

But sometimes things just don't work out. Would you condemn two people to misery if that's the case? I don't agree. (And yes, I'm divorced.)

I don't think that it is hard at all to stay in a committed relationship. I do know that there will be good times and bad, ups and downs; but as committed relationships long, couples can pull through the downs and bad times. Adding on to that, I think that some people are afraid to stay in committed relationships and result to cheating and/or ending up with separations/divorces. I believe that this is the main reason for some not staying in committed relationships. I agree with you. If you are looking for something short term, or no marriage, DON'T GET MARRIED. It is a waste of time and love.

How about if the other person's behavior is something which you cannot ignore and of which you do not approve (nothing illegal or immoral, just foreign to YOU).

You discuss it and believe you have reached an understanding, but the person continues to do it - sneaking about in order to do so. The person makes repeated promises s/he does not keep, thus causing trust to die first and respect to die soon after that.

Marriage counseling was tried, but did nothing to change the source of the conflict between you.

No trust means no respect which means no love. End of the marriage, beginning of the divorce action. It is almost never simple, but there is almost always a reason.

No matter which way to put it or which situation you apply, marriage is something sacred and something that should be acknowledged, kept, and treasured. Divorce should not be an option to one you love and want to continue to love FOR BETTER OR WORSE. If these mistakes are constantly made, then obviously marrying this person was a mistake in the first place; but because you have vowed to remain with your significant other til death do you part, divorce is out of the question.

It was present. I did not know of it. Had I known, I most likely would not have married him. Again, his behavior was not illegal or immoral - but it was something which I found distasteful and did not care to encourage nor participate in.

Had he kept his promises to me to STOP his behavior, we might still have been married. He could not or would not stop - so I had little choice.

As I said, I did not love him any longer after losing respect for him because of his behavior (which I endured for several years).

I don't care to make what happened to me public in this forum, but I shall go so far as to say that he had a fetish which I did not find normal - and it subsequently killed off any feelings of respect and love I may have had for him.

At that point, my only option was divorce.