Ideally, relationships are a trial period for marriage, a time when a couple determines whether they are suitable and compatible for the much more long-term commitment that the latter requires. From this perspective, the average Western woman who asks "Where have all the good men gone?" has already failed to fulfill several critical marriage vows before she gets married, and, I would argue, even before she gets into a relationship.

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A Google search for "marriage vows" yields this: "I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith [or] pledge myself to you." The exact wording varies, but the basic themes remain the same. Note the bolded words--those are the vows that the average Western woman utterly fails to uphold. By only showing up when he has money or status or whatever, by not showing up during the Good Man's tough years, when he has little to his name, and by not being there for him during those years, the woman demonstrates through her actions and lack of presence that she is unable to weather the inevitable bad times in a relationship. And if she has completely failed to follow these vows in the past, how can the Good Man trust that she will be able to do so in the future? Because she puts on a pretty dress and gets up in front of people and says those words? I think we all know better than that.

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These are just some thoughts that I've been fermenting on. What's the community's take?