The Battlefield of Love

“ A wife should be beneath her husband in four things or else she will despise him: age, height, wealth and lineage. She should be better than him in four others: beauty, manners, character and scrupulousness in matters of religion.”

I found this in the 29 November 2008 issue of The Week , the source is The Sunday Telegraph . Don't be fooled by the movies and leave falling in love to chance. We take action in other areas of our lives - falling in love should be no different. Stop waiting for The One. Searching for an ideal soulmate means you subject partners to impossible standards. However, you should identify areas you are not prepared to compromise on, such as wanting children or levels of fidelity. There are certain skills that are key to a successful relationship, such as good communication and managing stress, so you are less likely to take things out on those closest to you. By learning these skills, you will give any relationship a better chance. Love is about "making yourself vulnerable to another person". People often fall in love in war zones owing to the bonding that takes place in scary situations. But less extreme experiences, such as watching horror films together or going on rollerco...

I am now formally declaring that I have given up on love in the romantic sense, but not on love in the platonic and more enduring sense. Applications for the vacancy of a Domestic Partner - a cross between a housemate, critical friend and business partner - are invited. Sex and fidelity are optional, ie neither compulsory nor prohibited. Each "transaction" is deemed to be a one-off so that both parties are kept on their toes. There would be no assumption that either party would be spending, for example, St Valentine's Day with each other as a matter of course. So few people like this idea that the person, male or female, who says to me "My word, this is just the sort of relationship I have been looking for all my life!" without a hint of irony or sarcasm, would probably be The One . Domestic Partnership - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_partnership