Any marriage that helps both partners thrive is a union of equals—no need to worry about whether it’s a “match” or an unequal arrangement; if both win in the end, even an unlikely pairing becomes ideal.

If everyone feels they've incurred opportunity costs, they'll end up trash-talking each other, each spinning their own narrative.

No one enters marriage with the intention of being the sucker. Not one. Even in so-called charity marriages, both parties believe they're going to get something out of it beforehand. It's only when those expectations aren't met that they turn on each other, claiming they're the victim and were deceived.