The quizzes — 15 questions, scored on a scale of 100 points — were developed as a way to prevent “impulse divorces,” Liu Chunling, an official in Lianyungang.... Local news outlets reported that the authorities considered a score of 60 points or higher to mean “room for recovery,” and those couples were encouraged to work on their marriages.
“Through the guidance of the questions, couples can reminisce on the moments of their relationship and reflect on their familial roles and responsibilities,” Mr. Liu, who oversees Lianyungang’s civil marriage registry, told the newspaper.
June 1, 2018
"In some parts of China, married couples seeking to split up have been asked to take a quiz issued by the local authorities."
"The more they knew about each other — including a spouse’s birthday or favorite food — the less likely they were to have the divorce immediately approved," the NYT reports.
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Haven't read the article since I don't have many free ones left but the quiz seems to be a good idea. Perhaps the States ought to consider something along these lines as a "cooling off" period before divorce proceedings.
I would think that the more they know each other, the more likely they have thoughtfully considered dissolving their partnership, and their choice is less likely to be impulsive or haphazard. So, the moral of the Chinese story is the less you know.
It should be harder to get married than it is to get divorced.
They stopped going to Vegas?
My wife demanded a divorce about once per week when we first got married. It settled down to once per year after the first year. At five years, I said yes. Strangely, she only remembered my birthday after we split up.
I like the idea of a cooling off period. I think one of the problems with marriage today is that people don't know how to fight. People make mountains out of molehills, and jump too quickly to pulling the plug on a marriage. Sure, you get angry, say some things. But you can't treat the occasional disagreement as some sign of fundamental incompatibility.
For more serious problems (physical/emotional abuse, alcohol/drug issues, cheating, etc.), divorce could be the right option, and with no delay. But I know among my own group of friends and acquaintances, there are some who divorced and they don't even really know why.
Is divorce arbitration contingent on unPlanned children? What is the social progression following one-child?
The Chinese should institute covenant marriage as in Louisiana, Arizona and Arkansas.
From Wikipedia:
Covenant marriage is a legally distinct kind of marriage in three states (Arizona, Arkansas, and Louisiana) of the United States, in which the marrying spouses agree to obtain pre-marital counseling and accept more limited grounds for later seeking divorce (the least strict of which being that the couple lives apart from each other for only one year). Both proponents and critics of covenant marriage have described it as government inviting religion into the public square. Louisiana became the first state to pass a covenant marriage law in 1997;shortly afterwards, Arkansas and Arizona followed suit. Since its inception, very few couples in those states have married under covenant marriage law.
Didn't catch on.
Forever wives.
I'll take Peggy Lipton at 19.
Sounds like they have it exactly backwards. You should not be allowed to divorce until you've made some effort to get to know each other. ( Of course, that doesn't work, because an abusive spouse who did not want a divorce could purposefully fail the test, and lie to their spouse about various things ( including birth date ) so the spouse fails the test. )
Do they not realize that you can't test for lack of knowledge?
If you tell the subject they'll get what they want only if they get the questions wrong, then they will get the questions wrong. Even if they know what the correct answers are.
@SeanF
"If you tell the subject they'll get what they want only if they get the questions wrong, then they will get the questions wrong. Even if they know what the correct answers are."
You mean to say some people will lie to get something they want? Shocking!
Here is the deal: a woman in CHINA who demands a divorce is essentially giving up 90% of her chances of ever having a male life partner again. For those who are not Feminists, this is a huge sacrifice. In addition, married women friends won't have her over, and she will likely be treated as a whore in waiting, just like the 50's.
Yes, even with the gender imbalance. India has the same, and yet only one of four of the divorced women I know can find any kind of partner. A girl older than 28 is a 'left over woman' in China.
So, when a woman asks for a divorce in China or India...she has some fucking skin in the game. She faces fiscal, familial and social costs. The family loses face. I have some sympathy because it's HARD on her. If she has any other recourse, she'll likely take it.
When an American woman gets a divorce, her friends throw a party for her and the courts bend over backwards for her. Hence the 60-70% number of female driven divorces.
They pay no price.
Here, Chinese government is actually being 'pro family'. Feminists are essentially anti family unless 'he's a matchless match' (head nod Fiddler on the Roof)
>>If you tell the subject they'll get what they want only if they get the questions wrong, then they will get the questions wrong.
Yep. When my dad got drafted, he purposely put wrong answers down for EVERY question.
It didn't matter.
Just as today, being a complete moron is no bar to government employment.
>>'he's a matchless match'
He'll beat you day and night. But only when he's sober, so you're all right.
:)
The quiz (a la The Newlywed game) seems to based on the idea that the divorces that should be granted the most are ones in which the couple has no real relationship.
I just realized I've been married to the same woman for decades, and I have no idea what her favorite food is. I don't think she's ever said "This is my favorite!" or anything similar.
But she's INTJ. Too much of a perfectionist to limit herself to only things she's ever tasted. :)
I realize that compared to almost everyone I know, I have had the longest marriage.
But I don't blog with her
Him: We have been looking for a week. The dog hasn't passed the wedding ring he ate.
Her: I think it is time to give up.
Him: After all the shit we have been through together?
(stolen from twitter today)
I'm not a witch I'm your wife!
The Newlywed Game
I thought wives - even bad ones - were hard to come by these days in China. I bet its more often than not the woman seeking the divorce - and of course the patriarchy (/sarc) steps right up to fix that.
We'll be celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary this month. I've never wanted to divorce my husband, but there have been a few times I might have liked to kill him.
I bet these "local authorities" are absolutely impervious to bribery...
Thomas Freidman approves.
Oh wow! I don't know what to say. The comments swing both ways and make sense.
Here in INdia, you have to first go through court appointed "counselling" then stay apart for 6 months, then the courts will consider whether you deserve a divorce. A contested divorce case is an even bigger mess!
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