We all want love. So much so, we may “look for love in all the wrong places.” But the emotion called “love” is what we use as the test of whom we should marry.

Marrying for love is a mistake, and that’s why I wrote Picking Right: The Single’s Guide to Finding the Right Match.

But you say, “Love is the only reason to get married!”

Yes and no. Love is an important ingredient of any intimate relationship. But to marry for love when other vital requirements are missing is a serious mistake.

Take this real-life story, quoted from my book:

Amy and Greg met at a bar. She was cute, he was handsome, and they’d both had too much to drink. They laughed a lot together and sex was good, which seemed to them a perfect foundation for what turned into a marriage and a baby.

Not long into the relationship, Amy discovered that Greg had continued to pursue sexual thrills outside the home. In his world, he was not ready for a monogamous relationship. One wonders why he chose to get married in the first place!

The relationship was doomed to fail.

Several years of drama ensued. Greg refused to change his conduct, and Amy made his life miserable while still hoping he would reform.

So you see? “Love” isn’t enough and marrying for love alone is a grave mistake.

Lasting relationships require other vital ingredients, which I’ll cover in future blogs. Or, if you are impatient, get and read Picking Right.