"In short, marriage used the be the beginning of a relationship--now it's the finale. And I think that is very positive." - Helen Fisher

The U.S. marriage rate is in decline. In fact, it keeps hitting record lows. Some view this as a very discouraging sign about the state of Americans’ relationships. However, whereas this has led some to adopt a rather pessimistic view of the future, others believe there is still much reason for optimism. For example, as Dr. Helen Fisher argues in the Big Think video below, the fact that Americans aren’t rushing into marriage the way that they used to may actually signify something very positive.

Dr. Fisher offers a novel perspective on the future of American relationships that’s well worth a listen. She also offers some excellent science-backed advice on how to sustain passionate and healthy relationships over the long run.

Want to learn more? Check out Dr. Fisher’s new book, Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray.