Being a wife

Seems like you only view a partner for their utility and sexual aspects, not the emotional companionship, which is pretty objectifying.

If you want to be alone, then be alone. Nothing wrong with it. That being said, why you think this is an exclusive feeling for wives or women is beyond me.

It's traditional. A lot of people are into that. I suppose some people might do it for tax reasons too.

I don't understand what you are comparing. Are you comparing a married relationship to singledom, or a married relationship to an unmarried relationship? Your second paragraph makes it sound like you're comparing marriage to singledom, but at the end of the third paragraph you say the opposite. And I don't see what children have got to do with it either way - it's pretty normal to have children outside marriage.

It's called love retard.

It's not about what you get out of it. It's about companionship, staying with someone you can't live without. Also it's not for everyone. Not everyone "needs" it.

Tax breaks

Some people are meant to be in relationships with other people. That's fine. If you don't see the point In marriage, don't get married. That's fine too.

Okay... warning... this is somewhat soppy...

I like being married. Over 5 years in, and I still get a warm kind of glow when my husband says 'Come here, wife'. I like that we are bound by law as well as emotionally. I like that he wanted to make such a commitment to me. I like to think on the moment he proposed - standing on the freezing cold windy coast of Cumbria, as the sun set, and I heard those words 'will you marry me?'. That split second where I knew my answer was yes but I hadn't said it yet, and he was so nervous and worried that I might say no. I like to think on the moment we stood in a registry office a little over a year later, with the people we loved the most around us, and he stumbled over the vows. He was so worried by that after, but I thought it was cute. How his hands shook as he put the ring on my finger. So many little moments of love, locked up in my head to cheer me up when I'm down.

We work at the same place. We live together, socialise together, spend barely a few hours a week away from each other. That would drive some people crazy, and I'd be lying if I said he never drove me a little mad. Except today he is working from home. I'm at work without him, and I'm watching the clock, thinking it is 32 minutes before I can finish work and go back to him.

He's my partner, my lover, my best friend, my housemate, and I hope one day the father of my children. All that can be rolled up in one word for me. He's my husband.

"If a couple don't have children, what is a woman supposed to get out of being a wife? "

Companionship, I suppose? Someone to be with, who she loves and who loves her? Someone to share life with?

"If she is perfectly capable of being self-sufficient, can satisfy her own sexual needs by herself, doesn't require hugs or companionship and enjoys being alone, what is the need? "

Anyone who gets married yet doesn't want any of these...is an idiot. Why put the other person through an unwanted relationship, to that degree?

"What is the (admirable) pride many women seem to feel about being a "wife" (ie married as opposed to being a partner/girlfriend etc)?"

This I don't know. To me, it doesn't matter if I'm married or not, I know I want to be with my bf no matter what. It makes no difference if we have a legal arrangement (marriage certificate) or not. If he wanted to, fine, but it wouldn't change how I feel about him.

While marriage has a lot of mutually satisfying properties, you're looking at it from an objective standpoint.

Honestly, yes, I can satisfy all of my needs by myself. Is it better having a partner with which we can mutually satisfy each other's needs? For me? It certainly is.

Marriage isn't supposed to work, its just supposed to work to make kids.

I like the idea of getting married, it's simpler for the kids, for all legal matters, in case of death of one of the partners ... I like the idea very much

Me want wife to make cookie to buy cookie to don't eat my cookie. Me eat wife's cookie too

Whatever she wants.