Arranged marriages, a tradition found in Indian, Southeast Asian, and African cultures, entail the selection of the bride and groom by a third party instead of their own choice. Nevertheless, I firmly advocate for the elimination of this practice in contemporary society due to its inherent injustice and deprivation of personal autonomy. Arranged marriages compel two individuals, who may lack compatibility, to spend their entire lives together.
In numerous cases, these marriages are very unhappy because there is no genuine love and affection that comes from naturally falling in love with someone. It seems unlikely for two strangers to merge without knowing anything about each other. In marriage, the goal is for two individuals to unite and promise to become one, both in the presence of God and in front of their loved ones. This involves being willing to fully accept and cherish your partner, including their flaws.
The main purpose of dating is usually to get acquainted with each other, enabling the discovery and resolution of flaws. Truly knowing and fully trusting someone takes a considerable amount of time. Hastily entering into a relationship inevitably results in failure. When pressured into any commitment without being completely certain, couples end up distancing themselves from the profound emotion they are being denied.
It is normal to meet someone, go on dates, and if they continue to capture your interest, you eventually develop love, which is a wonderful emotion that everyone should be able to experience. In arranged marriages, you are pressuring yourself to feel a certain way that should come naturally. In such instances, the overwhelming feeling with ulterior motives can be considered artificial love.
In the end, the couple cannot be blamed because they never had the opportunity to freely choose their life partner. Trust requires time to develop, and it is important to fully understand someone before committing to a relationship, especially marriage. Building familiarity with the other person is valuable for assessing compatibility, and this knowledge should not be exploited to control the relationship.
When we begin dating, it is typical for us humans to showcase our best attributes in an attempt to market ourselves. In a healthy relationship, we can gradually reveal and accept our flaws as time goes on. However, if you don’t have the opportunity to truly understand someone before getting married, you are denying yourself the chance to build trust with your partner and avoid deceit.
Loving oneself is crucial and serves as the basis of love in one’s home. Passion, an innate emotion shared between partners, cannot be coerced. Unfortunately, arranged marriages deprive individuals of this feeling and the chance to naturally experience love. Such marriages are unjust and ultimately cheat one out of a fulfilling life. After all, we only get one life, so who wouldn’t desire to truly fall in love and marry their soulmate without any regrets?
