A wife gives a man something to live for.
Single, a man seeks something to die for.
(Sounds extreme, and yes harshly put. A man needs a cause - a great, life-defining cause. Without someone relying on him living, there is little else but 'causes' which lead to self-destruction.)
"a wife gives a man something to live for"
Tell me about it. Widowed five years now. At 57, I'm volunteering for Iraq (warrant officers go on forever).
See yah.