Comment of the Day

Oh my goodness! It seems to me that this mathematically interesting exercise in game theory has no (none, zero, zilch) application to real world decisions about marriage for the simple reason that good marriages are made, not found. And marriage-interaction researchers like John Gottman (see The Marriage Clinic) have actually been crafting interesting mathematical models for predicting what works and what won’t in a marriage. One finding is that contempt is like relationship kryptonite–it can destroy whatever is good and strong in a relationship. So, the mathematics of actual marriage suggests that someone who feels their marriage would be settling for less than what they deserve would perhaps be better served by avoiding the institution altogether. Doubt is fine (even inevitable), but the contempt of settling for less because that choice is your statistical best chance is just not workable.

— Todd Essig

On: The Mathematics of Marriage