Imagine you are 36 and you realize you've had enough. You're driven and successful in your career, getting promoted 3 times in the last 10 years. You're married, and have been for 4 years, but you're not thrilled about the idea of marriage. You weren't interested in getting married when the topic came up some 5 ½ years before. Monogamy is fine. Cohabitation is fine. No need for marriage. But you do anyway. You engage your partner in buying a home- that you have to put your name on because of their credit. You fight and argue about the money for the down payment and ultimately your savvy spending and saving habits earn you the amount needed to close. Your spouse does little around the house. Doesn't "know how to" cook, clean, grocery shop. Doesn't do anything with the yardwork. Doesn't clean up after the dogs (but wants another dog). You head back to school to get a second degree and another stream of income to provide a comfortable existence for you both. Your spouse doesn't pick up any additional responsibilities in the home and instead expects that you continue your FT job, keeping the house, and going to school while they "go to work" and make about 15k less than you. After 4 years and a few month, you get tired of it and leave. You sleep on a friends couch and give up everything you've worked so hard for just to be done with the marriage. It's the best decision you've ever made. You offer up the house free and clear (they pay the mortgage), but they decline and instead decide to move out into a smaller, low maintenance apartment. You decide that, to be fair, you'll refinance the house and pay out an agreed upon equity amount. They agree. As for you, you're not interested in cohabitation. You have your home, your dogs, and your finances back in order. You're interested in casual relationships, but not interested in living with another human again. You are fine providing for you and doing for you all on your own. Is this the MGTOW journey?