A terrible thing has happened to our culture. Growing in intensity since the 90s, it is the supremacy of personal fulfillment and gratification over notions of obligation and commitment. The psychological community has “helped” with this degeneration of attitude about life’s purpose by defending and promoting the rights and prerogatives of individuals to pursue their own satisfactions in spite of obligations. Consequently, “I want my happiness—I’m entitled to it!” has become, in so many minds, a justification for abandonment of family obligations.

Don’t marry just because you finished school and have an established job or completed your tour of duty in the military and so it’s time!

Don’t marry just because you can’t imagine the sex being any better.

Don’t marry just because you’re grateful that a woman likes you.

Don’t marry just because she’s pouting about all her other girlfriends’ wedding dates.

Don’t marry just because you’ve been dating her for a year.

Don’t marry just because your family is nagging you to do so.

Don’t marry until you’ve dated the woman for two years (to get past the infatuation stages), and only after determining you are compatible with respect to attitudes, interests, religion, goals about family life, feelings about children, comfortable relationships with each other’s family, values, and morals.

Don’t marry anyone you can’t trust or admire.

Don’t marry anyone with lots of problems—until such time as she works them through.

Don’t marry anyone who can’t handle problems with you—that’s just a fair-weather wife.

I have concluded of late that my value and worth are decided by me—not others (mean or nice)—and that nobody can take it away. Since I started earning my own worth in my own eyes, and therefore doing positive things in my life, my worth as a man and human being grows stronger every day.