[julianeon]

Actually this brings up an interesting point: the article implicitly assumes that the winning condition, the optimal outcome, is a long term relationship. But is it? Certainly many rich guys don’t act like that (stay w one person for 50+ years). This is important, because if we don’t have a consensus on what the best outcome is, that would explain why we’re not getting one. There may not be a single optimal outcome for that userbase.

[pertymcpert]

We don't need consensus since consensus is impossible with a large population. You just need a vast majority and the vast majority agree on the winning condition.

[morsch]

The average marriage in the US lasts 8 years.

[fnordian_slip]

Isn't this (heavily?) influenced by a small amount of people who marry again and again?

[morsch]

Kind of. The median is apparently 19. Still, if a lifelong marriage is winning at life, we're a society of losers.

[fnordian_slip]

That's a big "if" imho. Especially, since there are more than enough instances of unhappy marriages in previous generations. Often people stayed in abusive relationships because divorce was heavily frowned upon.