Modern World

i figure that long-lasting meaningful relationships are more difficult to achieve in modern industrial society because: they are not as necessary.

if you live in a tribe, in a jungle, the sequence is basically: fall in love when you are too young to know what you are doing - baby pops out - society "encourages" you to stay together with constructs such as marriage.

hopefully, you fell in love with a cool guy. if you didn't you are your children may actually die. it's extremely helpful if this guy has a social network of friends. when the cold winter comes, maybe something wipes out your food store - if you don't have friends, you are dead.

over the eons, women primates evolved the ability to measure (estimate) the chance that a particular man can do what's needed to keep her and her children alive. this became the very definition of sexual attractiveness. the women in the example most likely fell in love with a pretty capable guy - even if she had no conscious idea of why.

then there's the struggle - to just keep the kid alive. infant morality would be pretty high. the struggles would bond the family. these days, we don't really have the bonds of struggle. life and death. i actually watch life and death struggles on netflix instead - and i feel more intense emotion with those than most real life stuff.