SDA# 9: Prisoner's Dilemma: Marriage

A benefit of being a child of divorce is the opportuity to be highly critical of the institution of marriage. I am quickly approaching my marriage to by far the greatest guy FOR ME in the world...oh the bias within that statement..

Anyway but in general I think that marriage is the ultimate prisoner's dilemma and unfortunately the core of the institution of marriage(created by the government and religious institution) is a system that has everyone ending up at a less than ideal place instead of in an ideal situation - see prisoner's dilemma matrix:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgnwtft2_22nvnbpdfm

Here we can see in an ideal world where both parties understand the payoffs both parties will admit that fun/sex with multiple partners is a very important part of life and will agree that ages 16-whatever age is needed, is for trying out multiple partners...in the end of both people agreed that they were ready to build a life and when hormones die down a bit...one partner could suffice that was to build an institution of family and not so much "marriage" but unfortunately we have a society based on religious doctrine and government regulation which makes this look like devil's work why because everyone knows that a winning/fun solution is always an option for one player...multiple partners, little responsibility....so, people usually end up in a spot/marriage where they play their dominant strategy which is to end up with someone who fills a "role" of staying quiet and keeping their eyes turned away for the sake of salvaging a small piece of the idealized life...divorce is an option and the only one's who get really hurt are the kids but if you are the parents you think...i mean they will grow up and understand...