Dear Neil: I read your articles in a local newspaper. In my religion, pre-marital sex is not allowed. So how do I determine who to choose as the right person for me to marry?
Wanting to Know in South Africa
Dear South Africa: Here are some ways to evaluate who would be a suitable partner for you to consider for marriage:
- How evenly matched are your interests, lifestyles and values?
- How well does your partner express him/herself emotionally, verbally, through touch and through affection?
- How comfortable is your partner in social situations?
- How attracted are you to his/her physical appearance?
- How defensive is s/he to correction, criticism, suggestions or requests?
- How angry is your partner, and what does s/he do when angry? Do you ever feel scared or threatened?
- How does s/he handle it when the two of you are upset with each other—or in disagreement with each other? How good are your partner’s conflict-resolution, compromising and negotiating skills? Is s/he able to discuss conflicts and differences in a healthy manner when they arise?
- How tactful, diplomatic and sensitive is your partner to you? To others? In social situations? With friends and family? With strangers? How well-mannered is s/he?
- How compassionate, kind, generous, magnanimous, considerate, thoughtful, accommodating and friendly is s/he?
- How forgiving is your partner?
- Does s/he frequently feel like a victim? Blame others for his/her predicaments? Have trouble accepting responsibility or accountability for things that go wrong, or for mistakes that were made? Do you think s/he lives life with high integrity?
- Is your partner wise with money? How accountable is s/he for financial decisions and choices?
- How well does your partner relate to children and to animals?
- To what is your partner addicted?
- What are your partner’s plans, goals or visions for the future? In your estimation, are those plans and goals realistic? How compatible are they with your visions for the future?
- How focused and disciplined is your partner? Does s/he stay on tasks and go after achieving goals until they are completed?
- Do you have a voice in the relationship? Are your concerns, wishes, preferences and requests treated seriously?
- In which ways do the two of you have fun and play together?
If you can’t answer these questions with confidence, you are not ready to get married. You need more time to get to know your partner better.
I love the advise that comes within the articles on this site, can I also add that while you have stated having matching values as yourself within your first reason I think having a high moral value should be a primary consideration in its own right. Is the other person honest, trustworthy, possess integrity? If not run for the hills, if they do not have these values and they turn against you then watch out.