Getting closer to marriage and approaching your full earthly potential are the same thing (assuming they're done perfectly)
Getting closer to marriage and approaching your full earthly potential are the same thing (assuming they're done perfectly)
Edit: "getting closer to marriage" is about the whole journey starting from being completely single
Edit: if this shower thought is too confusing to be useful to you, then here is a quote that gives some of the same guidance, is simpler, less philosophical, but less broad: “Don’t waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come” - Mario Quintana
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This assume nobody can reach their potential unless they marry. And that's bogus. Anyone can reach their potential without a partner. Having a family is irrelevant to your human potential and self-actualization. Even most religion would disagree with your idea considering most use chastity and isolation as a means to reach enlightenment.
This assume nobody can reach their potential unless they marry.
In practice, my shower thought has nothing of value to those who are not on that path, but I gave this comment some thought anyway.
Technically, reaching 100% of our earthly potential requires experiencing the highest level of earthly love and using our ability to reproduce. In practice, no one reaches 100%, and we probably can reach 99% without a spouse and kids.
Even most religion would disagree with your idea considering most use chastity and isolation as a means to reach enlightenment.
Since I'm Catholic, I believe that in a religious vocation, earthly things are given up for supernatural things. In my post, I said "earthly" to exclude religious vocations and Heaven.
What about polyamorous people? They can't reach it without several spouses then. How many are enough? Will a polyamorous person increase their happiness asymptomatically for each person they become partners with? What about aromantic people that don't desire romantic relationships?
I for one think that my personal happiness 'maximum' can be increased with a spouse. But you really can't make that judgement for others.