Early on, “love marriages” are happier than arranged marriages, scoring a 70 out of 91 on an academic “love scale” vs. 58 out of 91. No surprise, right? But later something happens. A decade in, arranged marriages score a 68 and the ones based on love a lowly 40. What’s going on? A lot, certainly. One key factor is that in an arranged marriage you need to deal with reality a bit more from day one. You’re not saying “We’re soulmates!” and then later on becoming disappointed when the universe doesn’t hand you wedded bliss on a silver platter. You’re saying “I’m handcuffed to a stranger and I
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