Had a couple unrelated thoughts this afternoon after discussing a point or two with different people– interested to hear from others on either or both:
- Why do you think it is that couples tend to hang out with other couples? You don’t seem to see a couple with a “third wheel” that often, or, just for example, maybe a couple with a pair of un-coupled friends. I mean, it happens, sure, but why do you think “another couple” would be a couple’s first choice for partners at a social engagement? What makes that better than one of these other scenarios?
- The way that people get information seems to shift more and more toward non-traditional means within cyberspace (pseudo-reporting/opinion pieces through blogs being one example). I wonder if there’s any verifiable evidence that average Internet users are shying away from traditional news mediums, and, if so, I wonder if and when there will ever be a backlash where someone starts saying, “What the hell does this guy know? That’s just an opinion…” Maybe it comes out of time and experience, or maybe there has been a slow and steady shift, but journalism seems to be more subjective than ever. I’m wondering, when is the backlash due to happen, and is there any way we can speed it up?
Carry on with your weekend. I have 64 minutes to go.
Why do couples hang out with other couples? What makes this occurrance “better?”
The reason has to a lot to due with social norms. In society we like to flock together with people who are in similar situations, life experiences, similar hobbies, traditions, and age phases of life. We want to relate to others and often pick people (or couples) like ourselves.
Couples (primarily believing this term to be married or long termed dating couples) have past the uncoupled phase of life that they have a difficult time relating to what it was like to be uncoupled. Being a couple, changes your outlook of the world. You are no longer just concerned about your well-being and personal perferences because you have to concern yourself with another’s opinions, views and decisions on a daily basis. The reverse is true of the uncoupled, they have no idea (or do not have the in-depth knowledge) of what it is like to daily be linked with someone, and having their every decision impact someone else.
In addition, since there isn’t a guide to what you will experience as a couple, hanging out with other couples lets you know what is “normal.” Just as hanging out with other people growing up, taught you what was acceptable socially or within “normal.” The uncoupled individual will not know what being a couple is like and both in conversation and observation will not relay this information to you. Whereas, spending time with another couple, you will discover, subconsciously observe the actions and establish what is considered “normal.”
Also humans like balance. With three people, one of them will either have “center stage” or be left out of conversations. It takes people who really know each other, and closely familiar or three people very comofortable with themselves to not have this occur. Humans like to pair up for tasks/conversation, and with couples you have that natural- “you guys do that guy thing/conversation, while us girls do our girl thing/conversation.” With the uncoupled around, this is generally more difficult.
Interestingly enough, after being in my present area for the past 8 years, this is the first time that I have not had a couple(s) that would hang out and play board games with me and any other couples or uncoupled individuals that I would gather. Most of these couples were “young couples” (recently married) who enjoyed spending time with me as I knew them as individuals first and not as this new enitity that they became called a “couple.” As time past through, the couples have come and gone. Most of the time following this similar trend of being married a few years, then have a child, then one of them receiving a better “family supporting” position and moving away. The biggest change is that of having children. Once that happens, couples really start flocking together. The other challenge is, that if the uncoupled did not know the individuals prior to being a couple, then the couple and the uncoupled individual will have some difficulty establishing a friendship. Often times leading to the husband or wife referring to the uncoupled as “your friend” instead of “our friend.”
2. The death of mainstream media
Newspaper subscriptions are in decline. That is the best example of any verifiable evidence that the average Internet consumer is getting their news media elsewhere. Learning the number of sessions or hits on a cnn.com, foxnews, bbc, etc would also verify the shift.
Journalism has always been subjective and at the bias of whomever controls/owns the journalism source. It is in our very natural to perceive things (events) around us without including our own subjective ideas and beliefs.
Good thoughts, Benjamin… Also: GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Hope everything’s well, glad to see you make it over to this corner of the Intertubes time to time…
-bko.