I'm thinking that arranged marriage has a bum rap. At least as compared to what we think of as regular marriage. In modern countries (I could say 'Western' countries, but they're kind of scattered all over the globe) people are supposed to choose their own spouses, based on being in love. And in spite of the incredible divorce numbers, most of them at pay at least lip service to the idea that they're going to stay together forever.
But forever is a long time, especially if you get married in (for instance) your early to mid twenties, and have a life expectancy running into the seventies. People change, if for no other reason that their situation in life changes as they get older. Nobody -- nobody at all -- at age fifty-six is with the same person they married at age twenty-two. Everybody winds up with somebody they didn't necessarily expect.
I'm not saying it's good or bad.
But forever is a long time, especially if you get married in (for instance) your early to mid twenties, and have a life expectancy running into the seventies. People change, if for no other reason that their situation in life changes as they get older. Nobody -- nobody at all -- at age fifty-six is with the same person they married at age twenty-two. Everybody winds up with somebody they didn't necessarily expect.
I'm not saying it's good or bad.