Proper love is not merely a passion—not the love of a marital relationship. Passionate love cannot be reasoned with, like the whims of the wind it will carry you where it unwittingly wishes, following the effervescent scents of a flower. Passionate love, if not properly maintained is merely a desire to be swayed by the next suitor. Thus when entering into a marriage, in order to maintain a strong and equal relationship, it is wise to hold both the husband and wife responsible for the well being of the relationship.
With the various ways the sexes may attract each other, it is not uncommon that the passions of love may wander, but this does not make such things acceptable in the realm of marriage. So it must be that a proper marital relationship goes beyond such charms. The beauties and virtues of the mind ought to be recognized by both parties of the marriage. And to do so requires an honest intellectual endeavor from both sides. Such an endeavor would be that of a marriage contract.
Some may scoff at the idea of placing love on signed piece of paper, yet when a well-intentioned person falls pray to charms that are not supported by an equal respect of the other’s virtue, then hindsight will show that a marriage contract would have been a wise choice. A well-constructed marriage contract would enforce the ideas that both parties have faith in: respectful treatment, equal decision-making, support of careers, joining of property, care of living space, and most importantly the continual evaluation of the relationship. Such evaluation can comprise many aspects of the relationship from which trouble may arise. One such aspect that has often been addressed by these evaluations is the arising of gender roles in heterosexual marriages. By agreeing to constantly evaluate the relationship, the couple will not only recognize the appearance of such limiting gender norms, but also find solutions to end these unequal tropes in a respectful manner. Thus constant evaluation of the relationship is necessary to maintain an equal and loving long-term relationship because love is not merely a passion—it is a practice and a faith.
No equal relationship can arise from charm alone. There is a duty on both ends of a marriage that must be upheld. Though, a marriage contract may not necessarily be legally binding, it is binding between to the two who have entered it. Thus recognizing the equal virtues of the married couple.