--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Marriage is a very strange thing. It’s a…" description: "\"Marriage is a very strange thing. It’s a very public institution, it’s meant to tell the world that two people are going to live together, to declare t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/shashi-deshpande-34774_affair_marriage-is-a-very-strange-thing-it-s-a_1410424.jpg" --- # Marriage is a very strange thing. It’s a very public… ![“Marriage is a very strange thing. It’s a very public institution, it’s meant to tell the world that two people are going to live together, to declare that their children will be legal, that these children can inherit their property. It’s meant for social living, to ensure that some rules are…” quote by Shashi Deshpande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/shashi-deshpande-34774_affair_marriage-is-a-very-strange-thing-it-s-a_1410424.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/shashi-deshpande-34774_affair_marriage-is-a-very-strange-thing-it-s-a_1410424.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c05/shashi-deshpande-34774_affair_marriage-is-a-very-strange-thing-it-s-a_1410424.jpg) > “Marriage is a very strange thing. It’s a very public institution, it’s meant to tell the world that two people are going to live together, to declare that their children will be legal, that these children can inherit their property. It’s meant for social living, to ensure that some rules are observed, so that men and women don’t cross the lines drawn from them. At the same time, marriage is an intensely private affair, no outsider will know the state of some one else’s marriage. It’s a closed room, a locked room…” [Shashi Deshpande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-deshpande/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Marriage balances public duties and private intimacy, creating a structured yet personal bond. **In simple terms:** Marriage is both public and private. Key Takeaway Respect both public expectations and private intimacy. Themes marriage public duty private intimacy Mood thoughtful analytical Type sociological reflective When to use this quote - wedding planning - legal paperwork - family dynamics Key Concepts social contract personal boundaries Questions to Reflect On - How can couples negotiate public vs private expectations? - What boundaries protect intimacy within marriage? A Different Perspective Public expectations can clash with personal needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There's something about marriage that is not as intensely romantic or interesting as a couple's first meeting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sandford/there-s-something-about-marriage-that-is-not-as-intensely-romantic-or/) [John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sandford/) > [“No one can ever know the inner parts of anyone else’s marriage. It’s a strange business.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/no-one-can-ever-know-the-inner-parts-of-anyone-else-s-marriage-it-s-a/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [Marriage is a strange combination of dream and reality, and we spend our lives as couples trying to negotiate that divide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/marriage-is-a-strange-combination-of-dream-and-reality-and-we-spend/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The state of marriage is one that requires more virtue and constancy than any other; it is a perpetual exercise in mortification.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/the-state-of-marriage-is-one-that-requires-more-virtue-and-constancy/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [When men enter into the state of marriage, they stand nearest to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/when-men-enter-into-the-state-of-marriage-they-stand-nearest-to-god/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [Marriage is a phase where two lovers could merely state their affection, and legally claim to the society their bondage! 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Should we believe it?--Yes, we should believe it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/for-the-longest-time-marriage-has-had-a-guilty-conscience-about/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [ “For \[erotically intelligent couples\], love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-perel/for-erotically-intelligent-couples-love-is-a-vessel-that-contains/) [Esther Perel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-perel/) ## More by Shashi Deshpande > [“I know that safety is always unattainable. You're never safe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-deshpande/i-know-that-safety-is-always-unattainable-you-re-never-safe/) [Shashi Deshpande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-deshpande/) > [“Was’ and ‘is’ – in English there is very little difference between these two words. 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