Quote:
Originally Posted by lissvarna
I think we focus so heavily on romantic relationships (in western culture) and really forget how rich and wonderful non-romantic relationships can be..
This is a really good point. I live in India where marriages are mostly arranged, even among wealthy, urban young adults. Your spouse is just another member of your family, not the starry-eyed "we found each other and decided to stay together" mentality in the West. Some people are not even really friends with their spouse. He/she is someone with whom you procreate and combine family wealth. It's not even someone with whom you manage a household and make decisions, since a newlywed couple rarely lives anywhere else besides in the home (and under the thumb) of the husband's parents. Arranged marriage love is described as one that develops over years or decades. It happens because you get to know someone and spend a lot of time with them, and thus begin to care about their well-being. It's quite different from the concept of romantic love we have in the West.
The institution is not for me, but my point is that in many countries there is no concept of a soulmate/life partner. A spouse is never "the one" but someone whose caste matches your caste, who (if you are male) can afford to marry you, and whom astrologers deem appropriate for marriage based on star signs. In these cultures, they get along just fine without a "soulmate" or life partner they picked.