Why does a person get down on bended knee?

@subhubby Why does the other person then not have to do the same thing for you, to show true two-way and mutually respectful devotion? This is the flaw I see in marriage. The proposee (usually a woman) gets all the benefit of the proposer (usually a man) but doesn't have to bring anything to the table her/himself.

@subhubby Not sure about the obeying part. But yeah .this.

@zonavar68 women want to without being judged

@exexec Nice. That's so far away from where I feel about the idea of marriage that I couldn't see it being something I'd do. Being single sort of rules it out by default. lol

@FreeSpirit1 not only beautiful but a historian as well

@zonavar68 that sounds like an answer a guy with a submissive fetish would say. My answer is more in line with the true meaning of it

@FreeSpirit1 I respect your opinions. I have never been married, or proposed (or been proposed to), or even been to a wedding. My parents divorced when I was 12 and it was awful (for me not having any understanding of relationships, or sex, etc.). I've never liked marriage since I see it as a toxic concept, esp. when it's very one-sided (or looks to be) all in favour of the proposee (usually a woman) at a huge cost to the proposer (usually a man). It could be part of the reason I never could fully understand the full gamut of what sex, dating, relationships, is even though I tried as an adult without ever having any help from parents during my teen years. Everything about sex and relationships I find completely frightening now.

@hippyjoe1955 Except a marriage proposal isn't a prayer. I didn't know it was convention to get down on one knee to pray.

@zonavar68

Actually, the original meaning of "pray" was simply "ask", not necessarily of God.

For example, "I pray thee, cease thy counsel", is one of many instances when Shakespeare uses the word that way. This old tradition of kneeling when asking for a woman's hand fits the old meaning of prayer.

@Mamapolo2016 Fair point - not that I've ever seen a real-life proposal take place. It's not really valid to base it only on proposals in films and on TV.

If a man *doesn't* do it though with the feminist cohort start labelling the man as sub-standard and not insubordinate enough? ;-)

@zonavar68 Some men are romantic and some aren’t. I would assume that if he’s proposing, they’ve known each other a spell.

A proposal isn’t a contract, it’s a request. If she finds it vital that he kneels, she can say no.

On the other hand, if he doesn’t kneel, it says something about him, yes. If she likes what it says, again, her choice.

Again, I have never seen nor heard “the feminist cohort” criticize a man for not taking a knee for a proposal.

Some women want to be worshipped (which is what it implies, kneeling). Some women want to be loved.

@DrWatson Many women still do say 'no' apparently, unless they perceive their future partner has lots of money and meets the '666-rule' requirements, etc.

@AthrillatheHunt so why is a man required to submit to a future life partner?

@zonavar68 see the above