--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've never quite understood why people…" description: "\"I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is just an invented structure\" — Julie Christie" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg" --- # I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is… ![“I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is just an invented structure” quote by Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg) > “I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is just an invented structure” [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage is viewed as a socially constructed institution rather than a natural necessity. **In simple terms:** Marriage is a social construct. Key Takeaway Question societal norms. Themes marriage social constructs relationships Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - relationship counseling - legal reform - personal decision‑making Key Concepts institutional critique cultural expectations Questions to Reflect On - Do you think marriage benefits society? - What alternatives exist? A Different Perspective Not all cultures view marriage the same way. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) ## Related quotes > [“But being in a relationship doesn’t mean one has to marry. Marriage is not always the culmination of any relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashmi-singh/but-being-in-a-relationship-doesn-t-mean-one-has-to-marry-marriage-is/) Rashmi Singh > [It's not that marriage itself is bad; it's the people we marry who give it a bad name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcmillan/it-s-not-that-marriage-itself-is-bad-it-s-the-people-we-marry-who/) [Terry McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mcmillan/) > [Most people marry their mother. I married my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/most-people-marry-their-mother-i-married-my-father/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [The people who marry make a good marriage not marriage in itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-people-who-marry-make-a-good-marriage-not-marriage-in-itself/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I'm about the only person in my family that's made it to 24 without being married. That's the way it works where I'm from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/i-m-about-the-only-person-in-my-family-that-s-made-it-to-24-without/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [The finest people marry the two sexes in their own person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-finest-people-marry-the-two-sexes-in-their-own-person/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [When two divorced people marry, four people get into bed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewish-proverb/when-two-divorced-people-marry-four-people-get-into-bed/) Jewish Proverb > [It's silly that anyone in this world tells you that there are only certain people that can marry you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/it-s-silly-that-anyone-in-this-world-tells-you-that-there-are-only/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [“Studies show that 70% of people who marry their best friend stay married their entire lifetime.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/studies-show-that-70-of-people-who-marry-their-best-friend-stay/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [People marry through a variety of other reasons, and with varying results: but to marry for love is to invite inevitable tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-branch-cabell/people-marry-through-a-variety-of-other-reasons-and-with-varying/) [James Branch Cabell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-branch-cabell/) > [What I do know is sometimes we love the wrong people and sometimes we marry them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mcmillan/what-i-do-know-is-sometimes-we-love-the-wrong-people-and-sometimes-we/) [Terry McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mcmillan/) > [The divorce rate would be lower if instead of marrying for better or worse people would marry for good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-dee/the-divorce-rate-would-be-lower-if-instead-of-marrying-for-better-or/) [Ruby Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-dee/) > [“No, but he’s on his way to it,’ she replies. ‘You don’t think I’m wrong to try to influence Guthrie’s life, do you, Hester?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-e-stevenson/no-but-he-s-on-his-way-to-it-she-replies-you-don-t-think-i-m-wrong-to/) [D.E. Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-e-stevenson/) > [People don't think about the fact that when Barack Obama's parents had him it was illegal for them to be married in several states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-washington/people-don-t-think-about-the-fact-that-when-barack-obama-s-parents/) [Kerry Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-washington/) > [It is not from reason and prudence that people marry, but from inclination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-not-from-reason-and-prudence-that-people-marry-but-from/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Julie Christie > [Living in America, I became aware of many issues and went through a period of politicization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/living-in-america-i-became-aware-of-many-issues-and-went-through-a/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I see stardom very clearly as a construct that's been created in order to sell things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-see-stardom-very-clearly-as-a-construct-that-s-been-created-in/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [Some people enjoy celebrity. I admire those who do, because if you're going to go through it, you might as well enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/some-people-enjoy-celebrity-i-admire-those-who-do-because-if-you-re/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [Happiness is the absence of suffering. I think it's an interesting way of looking at it. I think the absence of suffering exists very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/happiness-is-the-absence-of-suffering-i-think-it-s-an-interesting-way/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [The little things that made up the fabric of the first six years of my life were suddenly ripped away, and I didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/the-little-things-that-made-up-the-fabric-of-the-first-six-years-of/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [It takes me time to realize things; I'm a speedy person but a slow thinker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/it-takes-me-time-to-realize-things-i-m-a-speedy-person-but-a-slow/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I basically put myself into directors' hands and let them tell me what to do, and the more they told me what to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-basically-put-myself-into-directors-hands-and-let-them-tell-me-what/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [Most of the time I spent in America, I was having a love affair with some American or other. I was just passing through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/most-of-the-time-i-spent-in-america-i-was-having-a-love-affair-with/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I don't think men see any lusty sexiness in me. The appealing thing is an air of abandonment. Men don't want any responsibility, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-don-t-think-men-see-any-lusty-sexiness-in-me-the-appealing-thing-is/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I never will have peace of mind. I'm not constructed that way. Some things in life can be horrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-never-will-have-peace-of-mind-i-m-not-constructed-that-way-some/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I don't think I would have been a good mother. Being a parent brings immense responsibility. It's a Herculean task. It would be almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-don-t-think-i-would-have-been-a-good-mother-being-a-parent-brings/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I never dreamed I'd like any city as well as London. San Francisco is exciting, moody, exhilarating. I even love the muted fogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-never-dreamed-i-d-like-any-city-as-well-as-london-san-francisco-is/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I was utilized because I have a certain face that works well in cinema, and I'm used to making myself look as good as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-was-utilized-because-i-have-a-certain-face-that-works-well-in/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [Altman works in such an interesting way, letting things occur in the film even if he didn't particularly plan them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/altman-works-in-such-an-interesting-way-letting-things-occur-in-the/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) > [I think I've got something when I'm onscreen, but that's nothing to do with acting or talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-think-i-ve-got-something-when-i-m-onscreen-but-that-s-nothing-to-do/) [Julie Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) [Explore all 33 Julie Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/) ## More Marriage quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Take an interest in his appearance. Keeping his clothes in order is your job; encouraging him to look his best, and admiring him when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-baker/take-an-interest-in-his-appearance-keeping-his-clothes-in-order-is/) [Ellen Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-baker/) > [Females always say, you can't turn a hoe into a house wife, but steady be trying to turn a dog into a faithful man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/females-always-say-you-can-t-turn-a-hoe-into-a-house-wife-but-steady/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“His own parents, the estimable Gilchrists, a couple who had taken the 'till death' part of their own wedding vows so seriously he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-blake/his-own-parents-the-estimable-gilchrists-a-couple-who-had-taken-the/) [Ally Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-blake/) [Browse all 31,920 Marriage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is just an invented structure", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julie Christie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-marry-marriage-is-just-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Marriage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-marry-marriage-is-just-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/julie-christie-19263_marriage_i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-m_547206.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've never quite understood why people marry; marriage is just an invented structure” — Julie Christie", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Julie Christie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-christie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've never quite understood why people...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-marry-marriage-is-just-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-christie/i-ve-never-quite-understood-why-people-marry-marriage-is-just-an/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```