I was very much in love with my first boyfriend. It ended for cultural reasons that I won't go into. Now I live with my present boyfriend, and although I appreciate him I don't feel as in love. From this experience I can say love does make the demands of a relationship a lot more bearable. Rather than submitting to duty, you automatically want to do things for the other person and for the relationship. Both might work, but love does give that extra warmness to effort you put into the other person.

I also view most love as a temporary fix to long term emotional need. But a 'successful marriage' depends on what the agreed terms are, which to me is a legal contract that is beneficial to both parties. No matter what it is these days, is anything 'FREE' or without conditions or strings? What you can live with makes a difference also. What is a person willing to do to keep this union beneficial? But to answer the wuestion, YES, there can be sucessful marriages between people that aren't necessarily in love. It's all in timing and technique. As they say, well us in D-Don't hate the game, learn the rules.

I believe in being truthful. Why be with someone if you don't love them? Love comes in many shapes and forms. Sometimes I believe ppl stay in it for the wrong reasons. But who is anyone to judge someone's relationship with their spouse or mate. If the person is willng to endure the trials and tribulations of their relationship, they will step off when they are at that breaking point. Love is an important thing in a marriage. I feel it should be the #1 thing. When you first meet someone you are physically attracted to them, b/c you are going after what you see. Then after seeing this person for awhile you start to feel them out and enjoy each others company. Growing together in LOVE. To have a successful, happy and understandable marriage you must have this along with all the other important things that come with this territory! If you want a business arrangement you can just pick anyone off the street to have that.

Love isn't necessary for a successful marriage. Maturity and liking are really all you need. You have to like each other enough most of the time to put up with the little things and you have to be mature enough to know how to manage coexisting. Love has a good chance of developing from that. Loving someone from the start (not just being "in love", but the steady kind of love) is definitely a plus, but not totally necessary.

Ok, I'm married and I got married for love and religious purposes, but I truly believe that a marriage takes more than love, not that love is not necessary, but that it takes alot more than love; love is just a small percentage of it, it takes everything we said in our vows; love, honor, respect, etc. Marriage is hard work and if your not ready to be committed and work hard at it than it may not be for you. Marriage is about enduring through the good and the bad so it takes unconditional love and much more.

Well, I have been married for seven years and with this person for fifteen. The reason that we got married was because of religous purposes and having children together. I am not in love with this person at all, but morally it is right to be with him. So, no I don't beleive that you need to be in love with a person to make a marraige work. Sometimes what morally right may not apease you physically, but it is just the right thing to do. Maybe together you make great business partners maybe, maybe with each other you'll never fulfill your destiny in life. You'll never know unless you give it a try.

Well, I have been married for seven years and with this person for fifteen. The reason that we got married was because of religous purposes and having children together. I am not in love with this person at all, but morally it is right ot be with him. So, no I don't beleive that you need to be in love with a person to make a marraige work.

I am a 65-year old widow. I've be "in love" a couple of times. Got hurt and/or disappointed each time. I agree with Diane. If the couple has deep respect for each other, there is "chemistry", and other commonalities, I think love will develop. I have been unable to find my life-time mate because the men attracted to me are much younger and the only things we have in common are superficial because we have different interests and see life in a different light.

Being "in love" is a bunch of crap. It's a temporary fix to an individuals own insecurity issues. There are so many divorces because people "fall out" of love just as fast as they "fell in". When the other person stops making yer toes curl & feeling all warm n fuzzy all of a sudden they're just not the same anymore. Well of course not. Sounds more like a pit than a requirement for any lasting relationship. Marriage requires commitment & respect towards a common goal more than it requires being "in love".

Pure Love is unnecessary in a marriage. A study was done on American marriages and arranged Indian marriages, and the arranged marriages came out on top with far less divorces and higher standards of living. Marriage is purely a business arrangement. It was created when people didn't live past 40. Now a days it's hard to "be in love" for more than a few years. Realities like mortgage payments, kids, jobs, etc start to kick in. Nothing about those things are sexy.

pure love is definantly necessary in a successful marriage. people seem to forget that love is unconditional. In these days and time people dont love unconditional, but on conditions. Conditions that are sometimes based on things that does not have a solid foundation. In marriage, you and your mate suppose to have a bond that nothing or no one can break.