What are the benefits?

Tax breaks depending on country and state, sure fine whatever.

But beyond that, the husband status is just the floor manager of the nuclear family now: all responsibilities and no benefits. Not even intangible benefits like status, only obligations.

And they're obligations that no one is obliged to reciprocate. In fact, men expecting emotional or sexual reciprocation seems to be an invitation to be labeled as some kind of predator or spouse abuser.

Can't point to stability as a benefit of marraige when half of them end in divorce and 70% of those divorces are initiated by the wife.

Can't point to raising a family as a benefit when again half end in divorce and the custody battle is weighted so much in favor of the wife.

One thing that does seem to be a positive is that it's easier to attract other women when they see a ring on your finger. But that's only a positive to unscrupulous men, and that benefit can be gained by just buying yourself a ring.

Then there is companionship. Men want a partner they believe will be there to support them through their struggles, who is no less devoted to them as they are to their partner. But with 1 in 2 marraiges ending in divorce, why would anyone think that marraiges can fill this need? Clearly whether a woman sticks with you through hardship depends more on her than on whether you are married.

And even if the marriage doesn't end in divorce, look at the deadbedroom sub for a good look on why that may not be a good thing. One of the main features of marraige, sexual exclusivity, is also the main means of married men's slow side into emotional unavailability and quiet despair.

But I'm wondering why we expect different outcomes to be the norm when we have effectively made marraige into a binding obligation for men to provide for a partner's needs without obligating the wife to provide for his needs.

So unless the man is getting something extra from the marraige, really the only reason he would do it is because it is expected of him or because his partner just happens to be extraordinarily beneficial to him. Barring that marraige seems to be a net loss for most men.