PUBLIC OPINION > Relationship Contracts Are Kind of Sketchy
SodaHead Living
2012/05/30 21:00:00
Apparently, Mark Zuckerberg made some kind of "relationship contract" with his wife, 27-year-old Priscilla Chan. We're not sure if it's an actual paper-and-ink contract or just a verbal agreement, but it bound him to spend at least one date and 100 minutes of private time with Chan each week, as well as a yearly two-week vacation. Now, that doesn't sound unreasonable, but the term "relationship contract" could be enough to scare some people off. We asked the public if they would agree to one.
Most people wouldn't, but it was far from unanimous. A good 41% of respondents said they would be comfortable with one -- provided the terms were reasonable, of course. Especially if you're, say, Mark Zuckerberg. It's easy to see why Chan might have wanted to ensure that she got to spend time with the founder of the largest social network on the planet. He has a lot on his plate, and it's probably very easy to get sucked into his job. Maybe that's the type of grounding he needs. But most people aren't Zuckerberg. One commenter wrote, "If he wants to make time, he will make time on his own."
Singles Resist
You've got to be in a relationship to agree to a relationship contract (unless you have a very unique case of split personality), and respondents in an unmarried relationship were actually 18% more likely than singles to agree to one. Oddly enough, married couples were not as likely, coming in at 42% -- which is interesting because, as many commenters pointed out, marriage is literally a relationship contract.
Midlife Contract
Younger people and older people were not very likely to agree, but there was a pronounced spike between the ages of 25 and 45. That actually correlates pretty well to the relationship status demographic, assuming young people are often single, middle-aged people are often in relationships, and older people are often married. It also suggests that younger married couples might be more willing to agree.
Drinkers Don't Mind
We suspected drinkers and smokers might be less willing to agree to a contract on the assumption that drinking and smoking could very well be prohibited by such a contract, but the opposite was true. But obviously, no one would happily agree to something they weren't OK with, so maybe the extra 12% of drinkers who would agree are actually eager to quit.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about relationship contracts. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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HProcks12345 2012/05/30 22:31:52
+6those actually exist?!?!?! WTF?!?! I thought they were only real in the strange tv shows that i watch!!!
he's probably the only person who could get away with a relationship contract XD
Oh bazinga... A new term for marriage;-)
Too many rules, agreements, policies, contracts but one misdemeanor and you lose your job that's their logic. It's like living in a freaking cage
Hell, that's true of any relationship. Displease her just one time, and she CAN and WILL make your life a living hell.
Let's face it... if the BF or GF isn't willing to spend at least an hour and a half (100 minutes) each week with their partner, there are already problems with the relationship that no contract in the world is going to fix! LOL!
She's making demands on him of his TIME, which you aren't guaranteed by a marriage certificate.