Brilliant piece, Kerala. You're certainly asking great questions, and you've done the research.

I've read quite a few of the pieces you cite (I saved Olga Khazan's "Doomed To Be A Tradwife" recently) and as a divorced 60-year-old I'm asking those questions too. I honestly think that I am happier in a committed intimate relationship (whether that requires marriage or not is another question) because such a relationship is the vehicle and fuel for growth and a kind of selflessness, something that invites me to become larger than I would otherwise. Sometimes it's very hard, sometimes it's the most natural thing of all, but it's always better--for me--than asking the questions alone.

All best to you, and keep writing!