A successful marriage is a cyclical process

A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt everyday ~ Andre Maurois.

An implication in Maurois’ argument is that a functional marriage is one that should be constantly knocked down and then rebuilt on a daily basis. This means that the ‘edifice’ that forms a metaphor for marriage is actually never finished. Instead, it is visualised as the exhausting process of continually stacking bricks on top of each other in the anticipation of life-long commitment. Arguably then, the toll in marriage is conceivable and its success is often deceiving, because it never comes to fruition. The philosopher Schopenhauer purports that ‘life without meaning is empty existence.’ It then follows that we should attempt to derive and contemplate the elements of marriage success. These factors, namely compromise and cooperation, should be exercised to their fullest until one person in the relationship cannot commit to upholding these values any longer, and the cycle starts again. Embarking on a successful marriage, however, does not necessitate that it must be consciously rebuilt on a regular basis. In fact, some couples may find that the relationship erodes once in a while, but it never fully disintegrates. This is because love remains the highest ideal and governing factor in their relationship. The temperaments and expectations of individuals in the 21st century, conversely, make it much more likely to propose that love is secondary to the independence, selfishness and competitive nature of the ‘i’ generation.