ABSTRACT
Some think falling in love comes as a bolt from the blue. It sometimes does happen this way; the human psyche, after all, is extraordinarily complex. But, much more commonly, falling in love seems to be the product of several down-to-earth, non-mysterious factors. Marriage is a paramount vehicle for that, putting the relationship with another person at the center of one's life. A basic human need is to find a niche in society, wherein one feels valued by others. Marriage provides this social anchoring. Some still say that same-sex weddings undermine the institution of marriage—yet it's never clear how. Obviously, the immediate result is more, not fewer, marriages. Marriages sometimes fail because people are looking for free lunches. Economics used to trap women in bad marriages; today they can walk out and get jobs. Staying in a good marriage is obviously better than divorcing; but if a marriage isn't good, divorce can be a liberation.
