From my observations of my siblings and others, I could be wrong, but it seems like good marriages are only suited for specific types of people. I'm becoming more comfortable with the idea of living single indefinitely.

There will always be some type of conflict in a marriage, but some people are better suited to handle that than others. For both the men and women.

You need to genuinely find value in the dynamic, genuinely care about your partners' needs regardless of temporary hardship and uncertainty, and you should never cross that line of disrespect.

Some pettiness or saying something emotionally in the moment is one thing. But, it being a repeated behavior is a big issue. I've seen it in real-time.

The most terrifying thing is that everyone wears a mask until after a costly marriage, a long process, families involves, and after all the resources are pooled together to make it hard to go back.

My family would always say "dying alone is not pretty" or "having kids gives you purpose" and I'm aware that all decisions in life have consequences. Yet, when I observe their actions and not their words, all I see is them wanting to make life less boring by having kids, or them feeling lonely and wanting to deal with those feelings by bringing more issues and headaches with a partner, or them claiming to be content with their life choices yet always stressed and complaining.

It's as if marriage is expired bread for most people. It's cheaper and it fills you up but not without some indigestions, sickness, and likely struggles with an asshole.