Pearls of wisdom from Pearl Jam

I was listening to an old pearl jam album the other day and as I flicked through the album sleeve I found some interesting stuff...

“Whom to marry or not to marry
One of the greatest causes of unhappiness, nay, misery, in the world, is the steady adherence to the superstition that 2 young people who feel, when in each others company, the sexual excitement that is so often mistaken for love, must marry. It is folly for which thousands upon thousands are constantly paying a most fearful price. Love! Why, love means self sacrifice. It means wisdom….

Nature has decreed that certain dispositions will antagonize certain other dispositions. Marriage is often so hasty that these faulty dispositions are not discovered until after marriage, when it’s too late to retreat!
1. Two people of similar complexion and temperament should never marry.
2. Two tall slim people or two short, heavy-set people should not marry.
3. A nervous fidgety person should never marry another nervous person.
4. A man should never marry a woman who is given to finding fault, or who is peevish and cranky, or who scolds her little brothers and sisters.
5. A woman should never marry a man who is naturally inclined to be arrogant and cruel or who is inordinately selfish.
Don’t marry a girl whose chief aim in life is dress; to dress extravagantly is a blot upon any woman’s character. When the activity of the mind is taken up with finery the soul grows pinched and lean, the mind fails to develop, and such a woman cannot make a decent partner for any sensible man.So, too, should no girl think of accepting any young man for a lover who is addicted to the use of liquor, or who spends money in speculation or in fast living. Shun such as you would an idiot or a fool.”

I think we would all agree this is wise advice not just in selecting who to marry but in choosing who to go out with too. I now realise where I've been going wrong haha!!

No, but seriously, there's some good advice here. I like where it says 'love means self sacrifice'. So often we get into a relationship because of what we can get out of it. But relationships should be about giving. Instead of looking for the 'perfect guy' who's gonna give me all I want, I should be focusing on what I can give to a relationship. I'm starting to see that being in a relationship is a calling. How cool to think that God could use me to help a guy grow, to encourgage him and to help him become all that God intends for him to be.