Why Millennials Are Saying ‘No’ to Marriage and ‘Yes’ to Freedom
Riya Kumari | Jul 08, 2025, 22:54 IST
( Image credit : Unsplash )
Highlight of the story: Let’s be honest. Somewhere between watching our parents passive-aggressively pass each other the salt and surviving our own rom-com delusions (thanks, Nora Ephron), we millennials started questioning this whole “till death do us part” gig. Like, really questioning it. The result? A collective shrug at marriage proposals and a passionate, borderline erotic love affair with freedom. The kind of freedom that smells like lavender candles, solo travel, and not having to share your fries.
There’s a quiet revolution happening. You won’t find it trending on Instagram or wrapped in a Pinterest wedding board. It’s in the subtle choices, the conversations we dodge, the invitations we don’t send, the silence we no longer fill with a partner’s voice. A generation that was raised on fairytales is choosing something else. Not out of rebellion. Not out of bitterness. But because we’ve learned that sometimes, love asks too much of us and not in the way it’s supposed to. Marriage, as we were taught, promised security. Stability. Respect. A sense of “arrival.” But more and more of us are asking: arrival at what cost?
We Grew Up Watching Love Endure, But Not Always Thrive
We saw couples stay. But we also saw them shrink. The truth is, many of us were raised in homes where marriage meant duty. Staying together meant surviving, not necessarily growing. We witnessed people suppress their truths for the sake of peace. And the silence we grew up with wasn’t comforting; it was heavy.
So we learned something early: commitment without emotional honesty isn’t intimacy, it’s imprisonment. That’s not the kind of love we want. Not now. Not ever.
We’re Rewriting the Story, One Choice at a Time
The millennial refusal to marry isn’t about avoiding love. It’s about protecting it. It’s about giving it room to breathe. We’re no longer confusing longevity with success. A 40-year marriage with no connection doesn’t inspire us.
A 3-year relationship that made us feel alive and seen? That’s sacred. We’re not afraid of forever. We’re just not willing to sacrifice ourselves to get there.
Love Isn’t a Trophy. It’s a Mirror
Marriage used to be proof, of adulthood, of worth, of being “chosen.” But for many of us, that’s no longer the goal. We’ve seen people rush into marriage only to wake up feeling more alone in partnership than they ever did in solitude.
We’re learning that being “picked” by someone else isn’t what heals us. What does? Picking ourselves. Over and over again. Until the love we choose doesn't ask us to abandon who we are to keep it.
Freedom Isn’t Selfish. It’s Sacred
This is the part many people misunderstand. They think we fear commitment. That we’re selfish. But ask around. You’ll find something else: we’re deeply introspective. We crave connection, real connection. We just don’t want to lose ourselves to get it.
For us, freedom isn’t about detachment. It’s about alignment. We want the freedom to grow, to change, to evolve, and to have partners who can do the same beside us, not in spite of us. We don’t want relationships that trap us in who we were when we met. We want ones that challenge us to become who we’re meant to be.
Some of Us Will Still Marry. But It’ll Look Different
Yes, some of us will still get married. But it won’t be out of pressure or timelines. It won’t be because everyone else is doing it. It’ll be a conscious choice, not a cultural expectation. A ceremony that honors truth, not tradition.
It won’t be about the ring or the guest list or the filtered photos. It’ll be about partnership. Fluid, respectful, mutual. And if that can’t be promised—if the cost of belonging is our authenticity, we’ll walk away, quietly, gracefully, without regret.
In the End, This Isn’t Just About Marriage
It’s about the kind of life we’re building. A life where we’re not afraid to be alone. A life where being misunderstood is better than being half-loved. A life where freedom isn’t a threat to love, but the soil it grows in. This generation isn’t anti-love. We’re just redefining it. And in doing so, we may finally be getting closer to the kind that doesn’t just look good—but feels right. Quietly. Powerfully. Truthfully.
We Grew Up Watching Love Endure, But Not Always Thrive
So we learned something early: commitment without emotional honesty isn’t intimacy, it’s imprisonment. That’s not the kind of love we want. Not now. Not ever.
We’re Rewriting the Story, One Choice at a Time
A 3-year relationship that made us feel alive and seen? That’s sacred. We’re not afraid of forever. We’re just not willing to sacrifice ourselves to get there.
Love Isn’t a Trophy. It’s a Mirror
We’re learning that being “picked” by someone else isn’t what heals us. What does? Picking ourselves. Over and over again. Until the love we choose doesn't ask us to abandon who we are to keep it.
Freedom Isn’t Selfish. It’s Sacred
For us, freedom isn’t about detachment. It’s about alignment. We want the freedom to grow, to change, to evolve, and to have partners who can do the same beside us, not in spite of us. We don’t want relationships that trap us in who we were when we met. We want ones that challenge us to become who we’re meant to be.
Some of Us Will Still Marry. But It’ll Look Different
It won’t be about the ring or the guest list or the filtered photos. It’ll be about partnership. Fluid, respectful, mutual. And if that can’t be promised—if the cost of belonging is our authenticity, we’ll walk away, quietly, gracefully, without regret.