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Did You Know? |
- Divorce laws vary significantly across different countries, influenced by cultural, religious, and legal traditions. For example,
- United States: Divorce laws differ by state, but most allow no-fault divorce, meaning couples can separate without proving wrongdoing; property division follows either community property or equitable distribution rules.
- United Kingdom: Divorce is granted based on irretrievable breakdown, with reasons like adultery, unreasonable behavior, or separation for a set period.
- France: Offers mutual consent divorce, which is faster and less contentious, as well as fault-based divorce for cases involving misconduct.
- India: Divorce laws vary by religion. Hindus follow the Hindu Marriage Act, while Muslims adhere to Sharia law; divorce can be lengthy due to legal complexities.
- Philippines: One of the few countries where divorce is illegal, except for Muslim communities; couples must seek annulment, which is a difficult and expensive process.
- Saudi Arabia: Follows Islamic law, where men can divorce their wives by pronouncing "Talaq," while women must go through legal channels to obtain a divorce.
- Sweden: Has no-fault divorce, meaning couples can separate without proving misconduct; the process is straightforward and often completed within months.
- Child custody and financial settlements vary widely across different countries, influenced by legal systems, cultural norms, and economic factors.
- Child Custody Laws Across Countries
- United States: Courts prioritize the best interests of the child, with joint custody being common; factors like parental fitness, stability, and child preference are considered.
- United Kingdom: Courts favor shared parenting, but decisions depend on the child's welfare. Mediation is encouraged before legal proceedings.
- France: Joint custody is preferred, but sole custody can be granted if one parent is deemed unfit.
- India: Custody laws vary by religion. Mothers often receive custody of young children, while fathers may get custody of older children.
- Saudi Arabia: Custody follows Islamic law, with fathers typically having more rights, though reforms have improved mothers' custody rights.
- Financial Settlements in Divorce
- United States: Settlements include alimony, child support, and asset division based on state laws.
- United Kingdom: Courts consider income, needs, and contributions when dividing assets.
- France: Financial settlements depend on marital agreements and contributions during marriage.
- Saudi Arabia: Follows Sharia law, where financial settlements may favor men, but reforms have improved women's rights.
- Divorce laws and trends across different regions:
- Asia
- Strict Laws: Countries like India, the Philippines, and Indonesia have restrictive divorce laws due to religious and cultural beliefs; the Philippines does not allow divorce, except through annulment or legal separation.
- Rising Divorce Rates: In China and Japan, divorce rates are increasing due to changing social norms and economic independence for women.
- Middle East
- Legal Barriers: Countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar follow Sharia-based laws, which can make divorce difficult, especially for women.
- Modern Reforms: Places like Turkey and Tunisia have introduced more progressive laws, making divorce more accessible.
- Europe
- High Divorce Rates: Countries like Sweden, France, and the UK have higher divorce rates, influenced by gender equality and liberal social norms.
- Lower Divorce Rates: Nations like Italy, Spain, and Poland tend to have lower divorce rates due to strong Catholic traditions and family-oriented cultures.
- Americas
- United States: Has one of the highest divorce rates, but this has been declining in recent years, likely due to changing attitudes toward marriage and financial factors;
economic factors, shifting societal norms, and more accessible divorce laws play a role.
- Latin America: Countries like Chile and Colombia have low divorce rates, partly due to traditional family values and legal restrictions.
- Africa
- Varied Trends: South Africa has one of the highest divorce rates on the continent, while Egypt and Nigeria have lower rates due to religious and cultural factors.
- Divorce rates vary widely across countries due to cultural, legal, economic, and social factors. Cultural and religious influence, legal barriers, economic factors, and family and social support are some key reasons
why certain nations have lower divorce rates. On the flip side, countries with higher divorce rates—like the United States and parts of Europe—often have more liberal laws, economic independence for women, and shifting
societal norms that make divorce more accessible.
- Cultural and Religious Influence: In many countries, particularly those with strong religious traditions like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Qatar, marriage is considered a sacred commitment; divorce might carry social stigma,
discouraging couples from separating.
- Legal Barriers: Some nations have strict divorce laws, making it difficult or costly to end a marriage; for instance, in the Philippines, divorce is nearly impossible except under specific conditions.
- Economic Factors: In places where women have fewer economic opportunities, they may be more likely to stay in a marriage due to financial dependence; conversely, countries with high gender equality tend to have higher divorce rates.
- Family and Social Support: Some cultures emphasize extended family involvement in marriage, providing strong support systems that help couples work through challenges rather than separate.
- Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Guatemala, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Malta, and Qatar are the countries with the lowest divorce rates in the world. These nations have divorce rates significantly below the global average,
often less than 1 per 1,000 people. These low rates can often be attributed to cultural, religious, and legal factors that emphasize the stability of marriage.
- Vietnam - 0.2 per 1,000 people
- Sri Lanka - 0.2 per 1,000 people
- Indonesia - 0.2 per 1,000 people
- Guatemala - 0.2 per 1,000 people
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 0.4 per 1,000 people
- Qatar - 0.7 per 1,000 people
- Malta - 0.7 per 1,000 people
- In 2024, it's estimated that around 900,000 couples divorced with over 2 million marriages in the United States; this means there was roughly one divorce every 30 seconds.
- In 2023, it's estimated that nearly 1 million couples divorced in the United States. This translates to a refined divorce rate of 14.4 women per 1,000 married women
aged 15 and older (decreased just slightly in 2023 from 14.6 in 2022).
The state with the highest divorce rate was Alaska, with 24.3 women per 1,000 married women.
- In the US the divorce rate is 0.24% (2.4 per 1,000 people) while the marriage rate is 0.62% (6.2 per 1,000 people); there were around 673,990
divorces and annulments and about 2,065,900 marriages occurred across the 45 U.S. states in 2022.
- Jus Soli (Right of the Soil): Jus Soli is a governing citizenship law; this principle grants citizenship to individuals born on a country's territory, regardless of their parents' nationality or legal status; examples include
the United States and Canada.
- Jus Sanguinis (Right of Blood): Jus Sanguinis is a governing citizenship law; this principle grants citizenship based on the nationality or citizenship of the parents, regardless of the place of birth; many countries, including Germany,
Italy, and Japan, follow this principle.
- Naturalization: This process allows non-citizens to acquire citizenship after meeting certain criteria, such as residency, language proficiency, and knowledge of the country's history and government; countries like
the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia offer naturalization pathways.
- Dual Citizenship: Some countries allow individuals to hold citizenship in more than one country simultaneously, while others require individuals to renounce their original citizenship upon acquiring a new one;
countries like Canada and the United Kingdom permit dual citizenship, whereas countries like Japan and China generally do not.
- Loss of Citizenship: Citizenship can be lost through various means, such as voluntary renunciation, acquiring citizenship in another country (if dual citizenship is not allowed), or revocation by the government due to
fraud or other reasons; the conditions for losing citizenship vary by country.
- Citizenship by Descent: Some countries grant citizenship to individuals based on their ancestry, even if they were born abroad; for example, Ireland allows individuals with an Irish grandparent to claim Irish citizenship.
- Citizenship by Marriage: Some countries offer a pathway to citizenship for individuals married to citizens, often with specific residency and other requirements; for example, the United States offers a spousal visa that
can lead to naturalization.
- Statelessness Prevention: International conventions and national laws often include provisions to prevent statelessness, ensuring that individuals are not left without any nationality; this may involve granting citizenship
to children born on a country's territory if they would otherwise be stateless.
- Humanitarian Grounds: Some countries grant citizenship to individuals on humanitarian grounds, such as refugees or stateless persons, to provide them with protection and rights.
- There are over 30 other countries automatically grant citizenship to any individual born on their soil, regardless of their parents' nationality or legal status. This principle is known as jus soli, or "right of the soil.".
Some countries that grant birthright citizenship regardless of their parents' nationality, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government. Other countries have variations or restrictions on this policy,
often requiring at least one parent to be a legal resident or citizen. Examples include
- United States: The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil regardless of the parents' nationality or immigration status, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Canada: Canada grants citizenship to those born in the country, regardless of the parents' citizenship or legal status, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Brazil: Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution guaranteed for children born in Brazil, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Argentina: The Argentine Constitution grants birthright citizenship for children born in the country, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Mexico: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Mexican Constitution for children born in Mexico, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Peru: Peru offers birthright citizenship for children born in the country under its constitution, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Pakistan: The Pakistan Citizenship Act provides for birthright citizenship for children born in Pakistan, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Jamaica: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed under Jamaican law for children born in Jamaica, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- Venezuela: The Venezuelan Constitution ensures birthright citizenship for children born in in the country, unless the parents are in the country in the service of a foreign government.
- United Kingdom: The UK has a more conditional approach to birthright citizenship; children born in the UK automatically acquire citizenship only if at least one parent is a British citizen or has settled status.
- Germany: Germany practices conditional jus soli; a child born in Germany acquires citizenship if at least one parent has been a legal resident for at least eight years and holds permanent residency.
- Ireland: Ireland offers conditional birthright citizenship; since 2005, a child born in Ireland is granted citizenship only if at least one parent is an Irish citizen, a British citizen, a resident with the right to reside indefinitely,
or has lived legally in Ireland for at least three out of the four years preceding the child's birth.
- Australia: In Australia, a child born on Australian soil acquires citizenship if at least one parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident; however, if neither parent meets this criterion, the child may still become a citizen
after living in Australia for ten years.
- India: India does not practice jus soli in its pure form; a child born in India acquires citizenship if at least one parent is an Indian citizen, and the other is not an illegal immigrant.
- Granting citizenship for children born abroad varies widely among countries. Generally, many countries follow the principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood), where citizenship is determined by the nationality or citizenship of the parents
rather than the place of birth. For example,
- Australia: Children born abroad to Australian citizen parents may acquire Australian citizenship, usually through registration or application, depending on the circumstances.
- Canada: Children born abroad to Canadian citizen parents automatically acquire Canadian citizenship; however, this is limited to the first generation born abroad.
- France: Children born abroad to French citizens generally acquire French citizenship automatically; however, there are some conditions and documentation requirements that must be met.
- Germany: A child born abroad to at least one German parent may acquire German citizenship automatically, but there are specific conditions and registration requirements.
- India: Children born abroad to Indian citizen parents may acquire Indian citizenship, but there are conditions and registration requirements.
- Japan: Children born abroad to at least one Japanese citizen parent can acquire Japanese citizenship automatically, but registration with Japanese authorities is necessary.
- Ireland: Children born abroad to Irish citizens are generally entitled to Irish citizenship, but registration with the Foreign Births Register is required.
- Italy: Italian citizenship can be passed on to children born abroad if at least one parent is an Italian citizen, but registration with Italian authorities is required.
- United Kingdom: A child born abroad to at least one British citizen parent may acquire British citizenship automatically, but registration might be required in some cases.
- United States: Children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if certain conditions are met, such as the parents meeting specific residency requirements in the U.S.
- Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Japan and South Korea are the development countries (with high GDP per capita) where people tend to
marry later in life.
These countries have higher average marriage ages, often due to factors like better access to education, employment opportunities, and gender equality.
- Italy: The average age at marriage is approximately 31 years for women and 35 years for men.
- Germany: The average age at marriage is approximately 32 years for women and 34 years for men.
- Norway: The average age at marriage is approximately 32 years for women and 34 years for men.
- Sweden: The average age at marriage is approximately 31 years for women and 33 years for men.
- Switzerland: The average age at marriage is approximately 31 years for women and 33 years for men.
- Denmark: The average age at marriage is approximately 31 years for women and 33 years for men.
- New Zealand: The average age at marriage is approximately 31 years for women and 32 years for men.
- Portugal: The average age at marriage is approximately 30 years for women and 32 years for men.
- Spain: The average age at marriage is around 30 years for women and 32 years for men.
- Japan: The average age at marriage is approximately 29 years for women and 31 years for men.
- South Korea: The average age at marriage is around 30 years for both men and women.
- The countries with the largest family sizes in the world are primarily in Africa and Asia. According to recent data,
the Central African Republic has the largest average household size, with 8.6 people per household. Senegal and Gambia follow closely with average household sizes of 8.33 and 8.23 people, respectively. Other countries with
large household sizes include Afghanistan with 8.04 people per household, Senegal and Gambia follow closely, 8.02 and 7.7, respectively.
- Palestine, Fiji, Egypt, Bahamas, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, Tajikistan, Albania, Mauritius, and Kyrgyzstan are the top countries with the highest marriage rates
per 1,000 population per year.
- Palestine: 10.0
- Fiji: 9.8
- Egypt: 9.6
- Bahamas: 9.5
- Uzbekistan: 9.5
- Cyprus: 8.9
- Tajikistan: 8.9
- Albania: 8.0
- Mauritius: 7.9
- Kyrgyzstan: 7.8
- In the U.S. since the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, which
legalized interracial marriage nationwide, the rate of such marriages has grown significantly. Newlyweds married to someone of a different race or ethnicity were increased from 3% in 1967 to 19% today. Among all married people, 11% are in interracial or interethnic marriages.
The most common pairing is between Hispanic and white spouses, followed by white and Asian spouses.
- Interracial couples often face unique challenges that can stem from cultural differences, societal attitudes, and family dynamics. There are some common challenges they might encounter:
- Communication Barriers: Communication styles or differences in language often lead to misunderstandings. Effective communication is crucial in any relationship, but it can be more complex in interracial relationships.
- Societal Attitudes: Despite increasing acceptance, some interracial couples still face prejudice and discrimination from strangers or even within their own communities, leading to stress and emotional strain.
- Family Acceptance: Some families may have reservations or biases against interracial relationships, which can create tension and conflict. Gaining acceptance from family members can be challenging.
- Cultural Differences: Differences in cultural backgrounds can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts. This might include differing traditions, values, communication styles, and expectations around family roles and responsibilities.
- Identity and Belonging: Some interracial couples may struggle with issues of identity and belonging, especially if they feel caught between two cultures. This can be particularly challenging when raising children, as they navigate how to impart both cultural heritages.
- Social Isolation: Interracial couples might feel isolated if they don’t have a support of family or friends.
- Japan’s fertility rate has reached another record low as the government, which encourages people to get married, has launched its own dating app.
In 2023 the nation of 123.9 million people only recorded 474,717 marriages, down from 504,930 in 2022 while the number of divorces rose, and births totaled 727,277, down from 770,759 and 1.57 million deaths.
The government now races to soften the impact, and has created new government agencies to
focus specifically on these problems. On the government dating app's website, it says “Please use it as ‘the first step’ to begin marriage hunting,” with a note that the AI-matchmaking system is provided by the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The government has also promised cash payments for families with children and supporting child-care facilities.
- Saudis authorities banned celebrating Valentine’s Day
and prohibited all shops to sell Valentine's Day gifts and products associated with the holiday, such as red flowers and wrapping paper. The government considered Valentine's Day, along with a host of other annual celebrations,
as un-Islamic, and imposed a strict Islamic code that prevents men and women from mixing. Enforcing this ban, a criminal court on May 2014
issued sentences totaling 32 years' imprisonment and 4,500 lashes to five citizens caught celebrating
Valentine's Day in the company of six women.
- Healthy marriages are good for couples’ mental and physical health. They are also good for children; growing up in a happy home protects
children from mental, physical, educational and social problems; however, around 50% of married couples in the U.S. divorced. The
main reasons include affairs ending in marriages,
age differences (e.g.; the woman is much older than the man),
the first marriage, different levels of education,
partner's long sickness, and childless.
- Only two US Presidents, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, have known to have been divorced.
- Laughing reduces stress and gives a boost to your immune system, and makes your heart healthy.
- A beautiful face attracts more partners than a beautiful body.
- When you're involved in a romantic relationship, your heart beats as fast as your partner's.
- Men and women with ring fingers longer than their index fingers are more likely interested in casual sex.
- Around 75% of couples married from a love affair eventually divorce.
- 23% of singles who meet through online dating end up marrying their partners.
- In Hawaii, woman wears a flower over the left ear to let people know she is no longer single.
- Young men feel more emotional pain after a love breakup than women do.
- In the U.S. in 1867, the marriage rate was 9.6 per 1,000 people; it was 16.4 per 1,000 Americans in 1946; 8.5 in 1960, and 10.8 in the mid-1980s.
- In the U.S. the number of marriages was 2.13 million in 2013; it was 2.48 million marriages in 1984.
- In 1960, around 8 percent of American women and 13 percent of American men married for the first time at age 30 or older, today about 33 percent of women and over 40 percent of men who married for the first time are 30 or older.
- Weddings among American college-educated women rose from 30 percent in 2008 to 36 percent in 2015.
- Las Vegas has a reputation as the wedding capital of the world, the number of marriage licenses issued there has dropped almost 40 percent in the past 10 years.
- A a result from a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, number of Christians in the U.S. dropped from 88 percent to 71 percent between 2007 to 2014 while number of people without faith grew from 16 percent to 23 percent.
- A set of twins being conceived from two separate fathers is 1 in 13,000, and yet a paternity test has revealed that’s exactly what happened.
- As of 3/2015, 72 percent of African American children are born to single women,
48 percent of first births of all races and ethnicities are to unmarried women, and more than 3 million mothers under 30 are not living with the fathers of their children.
- There is no law requires the bride to take the groom’s last name. However, around 70% of American agreed brides should take husband's name
- The divorce risk is higher when the man is much younger than the woman.
- Couples with children are often less likely to divorce than childless couples do.
- The average cost of a wedding and a divorce is $22,000 and $21,000, respectively.
- Around 40% of married couples in the U.S. have at least one spouse who was divorced before.
- About 60% of married people had at least one love affair during their marriage.
- Around 60% of divorced women and men will marry again, many within first five years.
- In the U.S., the divorce rates for first, second and third marriages are around 50%, 67%, and nearly 74%, respectively.
- There is no blood tests or physical exams required for marriage in the U.S.
- Today in the U.S. around 25 % of parents pay for some or all of their daughter's wedding.
- About 60% workplace relationships resulted in marriage.
- Las Vegas and Hawaii are the top wedding places with over 100,000 and 25,000 weddings, respectively, a year.
- An average American wedding party has 180 guests.
- About 85% percent of Western couples had premarital sex before they get married.
- The most favorite wedding day for a American couple is Saturday afternoon, followed by Saturday morning, Friday evening, and Sunday afternoon; an early evening wedding is generally more expensive than other times.
- In the U.S. the most popular songs played in a weeding party include:
“Crazy In Love,”
“Wonderful Tonight,”
"Beautiful"
“Thank You For Loving Me,”
"The Way You Move"
“From This Moment On,”
"What I Like About You"
“The Way You Look Tonight,”
"Best Of My Love"
“This I Promise You,”
“All I Ask of You,”
"Melt With You"
“Just The Way You Are,”
“Come Away With Me,”
"Some Kind Of Wonderful"
“Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” and
"Unforgettable.”
- In the U.S. the third week of September is National Singles Week.
- There are about 95.9 million unmarried American people, of which 47% are men and 53% are women.
- Washington, D.C., has the lowest marriage rate in the U.S.
- Idaho and Utah have the most state residents who are married, around 60% each, while New York state and Washington state have the most state residents who are unmarried, 50% and 70%, respectively.
- Maine, Nevada, and Oklahoma have the highest percentage of divorced people.
- Oklahoma and Arkansas have the highest rates of people who have been married at least three times.
- Just after marriage two years, around 20% of couples make love 10 times or less in a year.
- When a man first approaches a woman, she will base 55% of her initial impression of him on his appearance, 38% on his style of speaking, and 7% on what he actually says.
- Women tend to be attracted to men who wear blue clothes.
- After dating, if a woman doesn’t return a call after two messages, she is not interested.
- If a woman is interested in man during her date, she often smiles when he made a joke, plays with her hair, blush when he pays her a compliment, and intends leaning in towards him.
- Worst places to go on first date include fast-food restaurants; Italian food is one of the most popular restaurants for a first date.
- Signs that a woman is about to break up with a man include that she spends less time with him, she is no longer romantic, and passionate kissing turns into quick pecks, she pats him during a hug, and she tries to start fights.
- The most common signs a husband/wife may be cheating in a relationship are that he/she accuses his/her partner of cheating and often comes home late.
- Four common date blunders include, talking about yourself too much, showing up late, revealing too much about your ex, and an obvious over-eagerness.
- In the U.S., around 50% of singles do not have a date in more than two years, and the average ratio of unmarried men and unmarried women is 86/100.
- People were twice as likely to find a date through friends and family members than through meeting someone at a bar.
- People tend to make decisions on whether or not they're attracted to someone within 3 seconds
- About 50% of online daters are aged 18-34 and 24% are 35-44.
- About 40% of men do not feel confident when meeting a woman for the first date.
- About 30% of Americans have had sex on the first date.
- A woman satisfies sex when she reaches orgasm during sex; a satisfying sex life can make her real age up to 3 months younger because orgasms are great stress relief.
- A man satisfies sex when he ejaculates and reaches orgasm during sex; regular ejaculation is good for his prostate and reduces his risk of prostate cancer.
- One the average, it often takes men 3 dates to know if they're falling in love, while it takes women 14 dates.
- As per a AOL survey, 40% of women view an appropriate time frame for having for sex after the first date is 3 months, while 35% of men think the third date is fine; on average, couples have sex within between four to six dates.
- About 44% members of online dating services have children and around 10% of accounts are scammers.
- Women who post a photo on online dating sites receive twice as many emails as women who don’t.
- The average time for breakups is around 4 months after the first date.
- The average number of dates for a couple decide to get married is 100.
- Typically, the ideal time to wait to call someone after meeting them is 3 days, though no longer than four to five days.
- It often takes a couple an average of 7 dates to start seeing their relationship as exclusive.
- In 2013 11% of American adults — and 38% of those who are currently “single and looking” for a partner — have used online dating sites or mobile dating applications.
- RELATIONSHIPS: When a relationship ends, a woman will cry and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled "All Men
are Idiots." Then she will get on with her life. A man has a little more trouble letting go. Six months after the break-up, at 3:00 a.m. on a
Saturday night, he will call and say, "I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I'll never forgive you, and I hate you, and you're
a total floozy. But I want you to know that there's always a chance for us." This is known as the "I Hate You I Love You" drunken phone call
and 99% of all men have made it at least once. There are community colleges that offer courses to help men get over this need.
- SEX: Women prefer 30-40 minutes of foreplay. Men prefer 30-40 seconds of foreplay. Men consider driving back to her place as part of the foreplay.
- MATURITY: Women mature much faster than men. Most 17-year old females can function as adults. Most 17-year old males are still trading
baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work out.
- MAGAZINES: Men's magazines often feature pictures of naked women. Women's magazines also feature pictures of naked women. This is because
the female body is a beautiful work of art, while the male body is lumpy and hairy and should not be seen by the light of day. Men are turned on
at the sight of a naked woman's body. Most naked men elicit laughter from women.
- BATHROOMS: A man has six items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The
average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.
- GROCERIES: A woman makes a list of things she needs and then goes out to the store and buys these things. A man waits till the only items left in
his fridge are half a lime and a beer. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reaches the checkout
counter, his cart is packed tighter than the Clampett's car on "The Beverly Hillbillies." Of course, this will not stop him from going to
the 10-items-or-less lane.
- CATS: Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.
- OFFSPRING: Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best
friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
- DRESSING UP: A woman will dress up to: go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, get the mail. A man will dress up for: weddings, funerals.
- LAUNDRY: Women do laundry every couple of days. A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were hip
about eight years ago, before he will do his laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out, rent a U-Haul and take his mountain of clothes to the laundromat. Men always
expect to meet beautiful women at the laundromat. This is a myth perpetuated by re-runs of old American sitcoms.
- EATING OUT: When the check comes, Mike, Dave, Rob and Jack will each throw in $20 bills, even though it's only for $22.50. None of them will
have anything smaller, and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their check, out come the pocket calculators.
- MIRRORS: Men are vain; they will check themselves out in a mirror. Women are ridiculous; they will check out their reflections in any shiny surface: mirrors, spoons, store windows, Joe Garagiola's head.
- MENOPAUSE: When a woman reaches menopause, she goes through a variety of complicated emotional, psychological, and biological changes. The nature
and degree of these changes varies with the individual. Menopause in a man provokes a uniform reaction: he buys aviator glasses, a snazzy French cap, and leather driving gloves. Then he goes shopping for a Porsche.
- RICHARD GERE: Women like Richard Gere because he is sexy in a dangerous way. Men hate Richard Gere because he reminds them of that slick guy who
works at the health club and dates only married women.
- TOYS: Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men never grow out of their obsession
with toys. As they get older, their toys simply become more expensive and silly and impractical. Examples of men's toys: little miniature TV's; car phones; complicated juicers and blenders; graphic equalizers;
small robots that serve cocktails on command; video games; anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least 6 D" batteries to operate.
- LOCKER ROOMS: In the locker room men talk about three things: money, football, and women. They exaggerate about money, they don't know football nearly as well as they think they do, and they fabricate stories about women.
Women talk about one thing in the locker room: sex. And not in abstract terms, either. They are extremely graphic and technical, and they never lie.
- MOVIES: Every actress in the history of movies has had to do a nude scene. This is because every movie in the history of movies has been
produced by a man. Men will only show their asses, because ass size doesn't really matter.
- JEWELRY: Women look nice when they wear jewelry. A man can get away with wearing one ring and that's it. Any more than that and he will look like a lounge singer named Ramone.
- TIME: When a woman says she'll be ready to go out in five more minutes, she's assuming the same concept of time as when a man says the football
game just has five minutes left. Neither of them is counting time outs, commercials, or replays.
- FRIENDS: Women on a girl's night out talk the whole time. Men on a boy's night out say about twenty words all night, most of which are "Pass the Doritos" or "Got any more beer?"
- RESTROOMS: Men use restrooms for purely biological reasons. Women use restrooms as social lounges. Men in restrooms will never speak a word to
each other. Women who've never met will leave a restroom giggling together like old friends. And never in the history of the world has a
man excused himself from a restaurant table by saying, "Hey, Tom, I was just about to take a leak. Do you want to join me?"
- ATTRACTION: Women generally seek status, occupational prestige and intelligence in a male partner, while men, in general, seek physical attractiveness in women.
- HEALTH: Unmarried women have a significantly worse death rate from cancer than married women.
- DIVORCE: A married couple with the first three minutes of a argument engaged in critical statements such as "you always" or "you never" are more likely to split up and will get divorced within six years.
- STICK: One in four marriages continues because partners couldn't find a better alternative. 'Staying together for the sake of the children' was the most common reason.
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