Older Adults Are No Longer Staying in 'Empty-Shell' Marriages - ny times
nytimes.com
The surge in "gray divorce" among older adults challenges the sunk-cost fallacy head-on — revealing why more people are finally choosing future happiness over decades already spent.
Sunk Cost FallacyLife Course TheorySocial Exchange TheoryIdentity Theory
Theory Briefing
- Gray divorce rates have risen sharply over recent decades, signaling a generational shift in how older adults weigh long-term commitment.
- Experts cite multiple theories for the trend, suggesting no single cause explains why late-life marriages are dissolving at higher rates.
- The 'empty-shell' marriage concept captures unions that persist out of habit or obligation rather than genuine connection — a textbook sunk-cost trap.