Qui ne pas épouser ou le guide du mari idéal

Lecture ô combien drôle de la dernière chronique de Maureen Dowd du New York Times sur le sujet en vogue depuis la nuit des temps "an Ideal Husband". Elle y relate les conseils qu'un prêtre donne aux postulants au mariage pour repérer le "bon" époux. Revue de détail de conseils qui découlent somme toute du bon sens:

Never marry a man who has no friends

What do your friends and family members think of him? Sometimes, your friends can’t render an impartial judgment because they are envious that you are beating them in the race to the altar. Envy beclouds judgment.

Does he use money responsibly?

Is he overly attached to his mother and her mythical apron strings?

Does he have a sense of humor? That covers a multitude of sins.

A therapist friend insists that ‘more marriages are killed by silence than by violence.’ The strong, silent type can be charming but ultimately destructive.

Don’t marry a problem character thinking you will change him. He’s a heavy drinker, or some other kind of addict, but if he marries a good woman, he’ll settle down. People are the same after marriage as before, only more so.

Take a good, unsentimental look at his family (...) Is there a history of divorce in the family? An atmosphere of racism, sexism or prejudice in his home?

Are his goals and deepest beliefs worthy and similar to yours?

Does he possess those character traits that add up to a good human being — the willingness to forgive, praise, be courteous? Or is he inclined to be a fibber, to fits of rage, to be a control freak, to be envious of you, to be secretive?

Qu'en pensez vous? Ca élimine un bon nombre d'hommes (peut-être le vôtre), mais comme le dit si bien l'article nul n'est parfait et donc votre chère moitié a autant de défauts que le reste de l'humanité - vous y compris!-. J'ai envoyé l'article à ma moitié, il en a ri, enfin je crois...