Over 50% of marriages end within the first 4 years and the average relationship lasts less than that. The funny thing is, this is more so the case with young relationships. Why do young people seem to never settle down, yet old people can do so more easily? The answer isn’t really philosophical, but rather really literal. There’s a saying people like to throw out there often. “You’re too young to settle down”. That is the truth, but if you really look at it, the main reason people settle down when they’re older is because they literally run out of options.

Run out of Options and Settle Down

Think about it. Who is more likely to be clingy in a relationship? The partner who has the least options. Scarcity plays a big role in how valuable anything is. Our entire economic system is based on scarcity.

If getting affection from someone is scarce to you, it’ll be more valuable, therefore you have a higher chance of settling down with someone. When people are young and in their prime, they are generally more attractive, which means they have more options. When people have options, it’s safe to assume they’ll take them, regardless of their character.

There’s really not a big enough stimulus for someone who has so many options to settle down. As people get older, less people find them attractive so their options begin to run out. They can’t attract as many members of the opposite sex as they use to. This is where they create options for themselves by accepting dates with people they would otherwise not have not given a chance to in their prime days.

Their dating life has become increasingly scarce. When they find a person that is interesting, they are more likely to cling onto them because now it’s become much harder for themselves to get attention from the opposite sex. We’re talking about both men and women here. It works the same way with either sex. The environmental stimulus of scarcity will influence a new behavior pattern as people get older causing them to settle down.

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