How do you choose the right woman to marry? It’s a question that has plagued men for millennia. Let’s be real – we live in a modern time. The days when you’d ride over to the next village, pillage a young maiden and ride back have (probably) long gone.

So where does that leave you. How are you going to choose a wife and make sure you get it right first time?

Choosing the Right Woman for Marriage

Sitting in a trading centre (market) on the DR Congo/Uganda border with some local drunks. One said to me with slurred speech:

“You need to have a Ugandan wife and a western wife”

“Why?” I asked,

“Because the western wife will be well educated and bring you lots of wealth and status. The Ugandan girl will bear you many children and work hard in your farm.”

It was difficult to argue with his logic, but having two wives to cover all my bases was never an option. Plus I like growing my own food – why would I let someone else do it for me?

Why Do Marriages Fail?

Some would say that marriage is a contract. In legal terms, yes, there is a contractual element.

The memory of ‘signing the register’ while Whitney Houston warbles in the background will fade. What, then are you left with?

Marriage is more than a contract – it’s a partnership between two people. It’s a team of two who want to share life’s experiences with one another.

I’ve heard statistics like ‘50% of all marriages end in divorce’. But that’s a broad brush approach to examining why some marriages fail and others don’t. In fact there are many more variables in that 50% figure. These include religious background, shared values, whether there are kids, at what stage the marriage fails etc etc.

I’ve seen friends’ and colleagues’ marriages end. It’s tough that something that promised so much can end so disappointingly – think the last series of Game of Thrones. But more so.

I don’t know why your marriage is a failure or a success but I can tell you what my marriage and decision to marry was based on. Maybe this will help you make better decisions or confirm that you’ve made the right one.

how to choose the right woman for marriage

How to Choose the Right Woman: What my Marriage is Not Based On

1. Sex

When you think of a movie that ended poorly, what do you think of? I could name a few but 1990’s thriller ‘Speed’ would be up there.

And it’s because of that last line when Sandra Bullock says:

‘Let’s base our relationship on sex

Bad move.

Sex is not a God-given right in marriage any more than good health or financial stability. It’s madness to base any long term relationship on sex.

Of course intimacy is an important part of marriage but why make it the glue that keeps things together?

Here’s my take: I did not have sexual relations with my now-wife at any point prior to our wedding night. There are several reasons for this, one of which is my Christian faith.

But an important side effect is this: Our entire raison d’etre for getting hitched was never about whether we were good in bed together. It was about something more – something deeper than that. It was a deeply held connection and understanding that we worked well together right from the starting gun.

When I decided that I wanted my wife and I to date, I came out and said something along the lines of:

“We work well together and would make a good team. I’d like us to start seeing each other on a more regular basis.”

Nearly eight years on I was right – we do work well together and do make a good team. Plus the sex awesome.

2. Having a ‘Trophy’ Wife

This was my mistake as a young man. I would chase after girls who I thought would look good on the end of my arm. Or that would impress other people with the sporting prowess, intelligence or academic success.

When these girls turned out to be totally unsuitable (like the one who didn’t know how to prepare an oven pizza) I was shocked. How could I have been so off beam?

The problem was this: I’d focused too much on how these girls were going to make me look rather than how we were going to work as a team.

Would my strengths and her strengths meet in an apex of greatness?

Or would she just be another accessory like my expensive wool suit, new car or Swiss watch that I actually bought in Switzerland?

I’d given no thought to shared values, compatibility or whether we would be able to raise children together.

Eventually I saw sense and, having a clear vision for my life, I looked for a girl who wanted to share in that vision.

An important part of this was asking myself this question: Does she want children? And if so, what kind of mother would she be?

This meant I needed to know what she was like around children and how she was  seen within her extended family. Did her cousins and younger siblings look up to her as a matriarchal figure? Was she physically able to bear children? What did she think about parental discipline? Etc etc.

All of these considerations are the opposite of a bikini model bimbo trophy wife that can’t cook and finds kids ‘icky’.

Why Choosing the Right Woman Matters

A marriage failing can be a depressing and expensive business, especially for Dads. Suicide rates skyrocket – almost 40% more likely to kill yourself than a married man of the same age.

Even if you do survive young man’s biggest killer, you’re probably not going to keep the kids after you get screwed in the divorce courts.

Unless you accidentally kill Santa and then get transported to his toy making lair at the North Pole with your 9 year old son, you’ve probably had it.

Following this, you’re likely to hit the mid-life crisis full tilt until you either 1) Wake up and see sense 2) Die or 3)Re-marry into an equally loveless and superficial relationship. Not great options.

Which is why getting it right first time makes a whole lot more sense. I’ve just moved house which was a stressful and expensive experience. All the while I couldn’t help thinking ‘I’m glad I’m not doing this because my marriage ended.’

So get it right first (or maybe second) time. Having those shared values and personal compatibility as being above physical attraction is what has made my marriage as strong as it is. Sure we both screw up from time to time, have a fight and get annoyed. But we’re stronger and more in sync now that when we first started dating nearly 10 years ago.

How to Choose the Right Wife – Closing Thoughts

Here’s a popular meme from the health and fitness circuit:

“Couples who train together, stay together.”

I’m calling BS on this – there’s no evidence that this is the case. In fact I’m glad my wife doesn’t train at my gym. I’d get a lot less done – and probably get nagged that when I lifted that last rep a big vein popped on the side of my head and looked really gross and I shouldn’t lift that heavy weight anymore and stick to lighter ones. But I digress.

For all the protein powder this slogan has sold however, the principle is sound. Shared values mean stronger relationships.

Shared values overcome the obstacles and annoying habits that would make married life otherwise unbearable. If you’ve got this then great. You know what I’m talking about.

But for the younger guys who read this – be warned to steer clear of the trophies and the promises of sexual gratification. These things may fade with time but true compatibility will not.

Stop basing your criteria for a woman on how good she is in bed, whether she will impress other guys or if you’re ‘in love’. All of these things are fragile. But the marriages that last transcend these into deeper love, mutual respect and resilient partnership.

Neil

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About Neil M White

Neil has been writing for a number of years. He has worked as a freelance writer both in the UK and internationally and has worked on a number of high profile media projects. Neil spends his spare time hiking, in the gym or hanging out with his family.

5 comments add your comment

  1. Quality.

    Made those exact 2 mistakes with a girl I dated a few years ago (at it like rabbits and she was studying to be a doctor). Totally ignored the fact that we met at a bar, that she couldn’t make a fried egg without burning it, that most of her friends were men and her best mate was a promiscuous gay guy (no homophobia but he was a massive enabler).

    Our entire 6 months (LOL) were based off that and once any problems hit she bailed, was devastated at the time but now I just wonder what I was doing…

    Values and compatibility last longer than puppy love.

    • Hey Ed, thanks for your comments and I’m sorry that you had a bad experience. Sounds like a good one to learn from. I’ve enjoyed an excellent and healthy sexual relationship since being married. The shared values and compatibility are a big part of that story.

  2. There’s just 1 little caveat that you left out Neil… just where the heck are we actually supposed to find the women out there that would be right for marriage/make a great wife ??? Because I’ve been looking around for years and unfortunately haven’t found anything close

    • Hi Steve thanks for commenting. It’s difficult for me to speak directly into your own situation but what I would say is this: If you’re looking for someone who values the things you do, where are you most likely to find them? If you’re looking for a wife who cooks and likes quilting are you going to find her in a sleazy nightclub at kicking-out time on a Saturday night? If you are looking for a wife who is into fitness and keeping healthy, is she more likely to be in KFC or in night classes learning how to cook vegan? Or if you’d like a wife who shares your passion for all things equestrian, will you find her at a horse show, or a dog show?

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