Happiness, however, is not always eternal. “In the West, people leave many aspects of their relationships entirely to chance: to the Fates, in fact, who also controlled the futures of most of the couples we learned about in fairy tales when we were children. In stories like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, mysterious forces bring out a handsome prince to save the day and kiss the damsel, and the new couple lives happily ever after, seemingly without skill, effort, or even compatibility. The stories have been told and these themes reiterated in hundreds of famous films over the last century: Sleepless in Seattle, Happily Ever After, Kate and Leopold, and so on. Woven into every aspect of our culture, the idea that the success of our romantic relationships depends on mysterious forces over which we have no control undoubtedly contributes to the gradual decline of such relationships, as well as a high divorce rate (Epstein). “Given the very high rates of divorce in contemporary marriage, it is clear that having complete freedom in choosing a spouse does not guarantee marital success or stability. The fact that the choice of a spouse is determined to some extent by others does not preclude much success and happiness in marriage. Therefore, there must be factors beyond the choice of spouse that lead to the success or failure of the marriage. It seems that the choices made during the marriage did so