Times are hard!

Times are hard!

I’ve come across that phrase a few times and mainly from 30-something women (not sure if that has any relevance) but it seems women in general are compromising and considering men to date and marry who don’t meet their expectations. Are these the sign of the times to come? Is attraction or having a connection not essential anymore? Or are women compromising because they can’t be asked to put in anymore effort with the dating game and prefer to have a man just for the sake of having a man as opposed to being single?

Recently a friend mentioned her decision to meet a man on a second date around eventhough she wasn’t attracted to him the first time but because “times were hard” she went ahead. You would be right in predicting it didn’t last infact he let her down “gently” by text.

Women are complaining “decent” men are on a decline. If so where have they gone? Or are these same people unrealistic with their expectations? Are we consumed by the society which projects images via the mass media and feeding the audience inaccurate desires and keeping us preoccupied with the ideals and values of consumerism. Subsequently are we all striving for unrealistic criteria in potential suitors which is clouding our judgement?

In the past finding the “one” was arranged by parents and the couple had limited or no say especially if you were from an Asian background. Even Britain to a certain degree had the same tradiational values. Couples had to belong to a similar social class therefore marriage introduction took place through the elders and women were pressured to marry men from “good” heritage. However in today’s times people are finding their own partners. People might say the former option is outdated but alas the latter has opened up its own challenges.

With the current mindset would it be conducive to return back to the traditional methods of introductions and accept its far more difficult to meet people using the unconventional methods. If compromising is the fashion for this decade and dating people who don’t fit the bill are we better to pursue these methods of traditional introductions?

However we look at it we’ll never know any individual 100% before signing the marriage papers. So isn’t it better to go for the traditional methods. So it might mean we forgo a choice but at least it saves all the coffee’s and expensive dinners trying to impress the girl and who knows. It might even get the parents to pay for the wedding and honeymoon. That don’t sound like a bad option!