Hmm maybe not so much outdated as it's held in too high regard in society. It was created from necessity not love. I wonder if they did a study with married couples vs non married long term couples. I'd be willing to guess the long term non married couples stay together longer. There's something about the finality of marriage that scares people specifically men. No one loses more if a marriage goes bad than men. As a woman you most likely will keep the kids, money and property. Men have been destroyed by divorce.