Originally Posted by
LittleBigMan
Of course, none of us can make that call for him.
It might not be wise to ask advice that agrees only with what one wants to hear.
Unless he was asking for advice on an entirely different topic. It's like asking your best friend for encouragement before you ask your boss for a raise, and she instead tells you that you're getting kinda fat. It might be nice to know (from a friend, rather than a random stranger) but what you really need is the ego boost to ask for the raise.
To take the analogy farther, in this case many contributors to this thread have gone on to tell you that you smell bad, you're stupid and, just in case you didn't already know, everyone talks about you behind your back.
There's a point at which friendly advice crosses a line into bitterness. Many comments here went way, way past bitterness. It's not about what the OP needs to hear, but rather what we are qualified to proscribe.
Originally Posted by
LittleBigMan
Actually, I would recommend some competent form of counselling for everyone before marrying. It's a whole lot more difficult and painful to divorce than it is to avoid marrying for the wrong reasons, especially once children are involved.
No, what would be sad would be to avoid getting a "relationship check-up." If it's a healthy one, it will only make the relationship better, especially in the long run.
Agreed; that's good advice.