Most of the article jumped out at me as bizarre. Wife bonuses are just a very formal and translucent process for negotiating a relationship. There’s nothing wrong if two people want to negotiate like that. The $1500 purses are a better example. And lots of people plan for doomsday scenarios. And why wouldn’t you want a doctor who could make house calls if you could afford it?
A spouse should prefer that you signal unconditional commitment to the marriage rather than conditional commitment. Wife bonuses signal conditional commitment. That’s why people find them distasteful. (For rich people, of course, they countersignal “you get so much from marrying me that I don’t need to commit unconditionally in order to keep you”.)
Most of the article jumped out at me as bizarre. Wife bonuses are just a very formal and translucent process for negotiating a relationship. There’s nothing wrong if two people want to negotiate like that. The $1500 purses are a better example. And lots of people plan for doomsday scenarios. And why wouldn’t you want a doctor who could make house calls if you could afford it?
A spouse should prefer that you signal unconditional commitment to the marriage rather than conditional commitment. Wife bonuses signal conditional commitment. That’s why people find them distasteful. (For rich people, of course, they countersignal “you get so much from marrying me that I don’t need to commit unconditionally in order to keep you”.)