What are the importance of promise rings in today’s Western society? I will explain, in a totally needlessly circuitous way, why promise rings are indispensable today.
It has to be stated. Monogamy is hard. Living with one person your whole life can weigh heavily on a brain. There are things you start to notice about a person, habits and idiosyncrasies and ticks that you only thought existed on sitcoms, but no, they actually exist in reality. Take, for example, armpits. I know a guy who has been married for 5 years whose wife has a right armpit shaving phobia. This is so rare that the scientific community hasn’t even coined a Latin term for it yet, like dexteralatondeophobia. Dexter meaning right, ala meaning armpit, tondeo meaning shaving. Phobia meaning phobia. You heard it first here.
This woman apparently had a cyst develop on her right armpit due to a shaving incident when she was 18 that need not be described in detail. Ever since surgery, there has been no shaving there. Now, despite this being a case you’d only expect to see on some twisted Seinfeld episode, the man, entered into a monogamous relationship without knowing his future wife had this phobia about her right armpit, the results of which you can imagine for yourself.
The two will have to deal with this problem for the rest of their lives. Behavioral therapy, hypnosis, electroshock, whatever. It’s none of our business. But let’s look at this case from the perspective of promise rings.
This man gave this woman a diamond engagement ring without knowing about her case of dexteralatondeophobia. Once she had the engagement ring, she knew he wouldn’t turn back. They’re just too expensive and it’s too embarrassing to return. She didn’t have to tell him about her phobia. However, if he had instead given her a promise ring, otherwise known as a pre engagement ring, then this middle step may have inspired her to spill the beans.
A promise ring is traditionally cheaper and less commitment-bound than a full engagement ring. It signifies the intent to go along the path to engagement without the heavyweight investment in a solid commitment to monogamy. Had he given her a promise ring first, the promise ring may have inspired her to think to herself, “I see where this relationship is going. I should come clean before it’s too serious,” instead of receiving a diamond engagement ring straightaway and thinking, “It’s too late now. We’re engaged. I guess he’ll have to find out later.”
This is only one illustration of why it is essential to purchase a pre engagement ring, a promise ring, before getting on your knee. A promise ring will help both of you come clean with what has to be put out in the open before the monogamy door is locked with both of you, armpits and all, inside.
