1. Supporting Argument 1: Many people still do believe in commitment in a mutual relationship. by Wee Chuan
1.1. Many people still seek a blissful marriage such that both parties remain true and faithful to each other.
1.2. This could be due to the mindset of traditional values passed down from generations in which polygamy is seen as immoral.
1.2.1. This especially applies to Asian countries. The Chinese regarded monogamy as the norm. From the point of view of Confucian philosophy, one of the purposes of marriage is the cultivation of virtue. As such, this goes against the idea of having multiple partners for life.
1.3. Therefore, with commitment due to the influence from traditional values, a relationship could be sustained. In the long run, the relationship would be a successful and romantic one, making the idea of having one partner for life a realistic one.
2. Supporting Argument 2: Having one partner for life allows one to focus on other aspects of life. by Daryl Lim
2.1. Sticking with one partner for life allows one to focus on other aspects of life such as work and health. This is because having to change partners requires major changes to one's lifestyle, such as places of habitation and financial accounts
2.1.1. E.g. Often in society, people who are successful in their work have one partner for life.
2.2. Therefore, having one partner for life is a realistic idea.
3. Supporting Argument 3: Both parties may be truly in love with each other. by Sincere
3.1. When it comes to marriage, the more oftenly associated point would be the result of couples being in love with each other and want to stay with each other for life. Hence, if both parties do love each other deeply and are loyal to each other, having only one partner in life is realistic and it may even be hard for them to have a second parttner in life.
3.1.1. E.g. There are many couples who are still married to the single partner they had and are still deeply in love with them even in their old age.
3.1.2. Okay, but how do you explain polygamous families which consist of multiple partners? It can be said that they are also "truly" in love with each other, with the exception that multiple partners love and are loyal to their husband/wife.
3.1.3. Indeed , there may be polygamous families where one may be in love with many others . However, these many "love" may be of different aspects or different degrees. For example, "liking" and "loving" are different matters. While one may have many spouses , there must still be one that is most favoured. In this case, when there is only 1 partner that a person could or should choose due to conditions such as fear of man, the sole breadwinner in some cases, not being able to earn enough money for the whole family if he has a lot of wives, it is not hard to come to a conclusion that he or she would choose one that he or she loves "the most" , and is sure that they will be able to be together for the rest of their lives peacefully, resulting in a pair of spouse spending their time with each other for their entire life.
4. Opposing Argument 1: Bad influence coming from the media as well as government leaders. by Wilbert
4.1. Government leaders are increasingly becoming involved in scandals, influencing their followers who may think that it is alright to follow suit
4.1.1. Bill Clinton(1998): Revelations that White House intern Monica Lewinsky had oral sex with Clinton in the Oval Office leading him to famously declare on TV on January 26, 1998 that "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." The scandal led to impeachment by the House for perjury, for lying about the affair under oath. He was acquitted in the Senate by 10 votes.
4.2. Media gives the impression that having multiple partners is a good thing
4.2.1. Movies depicting couples practicing polygamy and yet still living happily. eg. Big Love
4.3. Granted the influence from the media and government leaders could change their mindsets about having multiple partners and scandals, but it doesn't mean that one will think that having one partner for life is unrealistic. What's the link here?
5. Opposing Argument 2: Not realistic because of hectic lifestyles and constant exposure to other people. By Matthew
5.1. Current day lifestyles causes couples to be detached from one another. Research has shown that the time spent on working on an average work day is found to be an alarming 8.6hours for people that are employed aged 23-54. As such, one might find that they spend more time with their colleagues rather than their spouse
5.1.1. To some people, the idea of spending the life with someone sounds like a chore and during some phases in life, it can be. When one party becomes overly committed in work and related activities, it will lead to the lost of feelings and hence it is not realistic to have only one partner in this current era.
5.1.1.1. Examples of phases in life?
5.2. There is not enough time for couples to show their affection for one another. When this happens either one of the couple will start to lose feelings for the other and this results in break-ups or leading to one party to have an affair with an outsider.
6. Thesis Statement / Stand
6.1. The idea of having one partner for life is still a realistic one.
6.1.1. Importance of monogamy is still highly emphasised in today's society.
6.1.2. Society deems monogamy as ideal but society views polygamy as immoral.
6.1.3. People still do value their traditional roots and as such, traditional views on having single partners have not eroded but rather, still remain relevant in today's society.