Marriages based on romantic love are an aberration -- the idea that romantic love should be the sole driving force behind a marriage only really came into being in the last century, perhaps less.

As for it being the be-all & end-all of life...

...try spending a little while around some woman who is constantly chasing boyfriends. And who thinks you actually care about how much of a jerk the current one is. ::has found such to be amazingly oblivious to all polite hints that you are not interested and are not, in fact, their friend -- much to your delight::

Worst part of all of this is that one of my Grandmothers is very much into this luv -- it certainly ain't love -- and has successfully caused my sole aunt that side of my family to basically ruin her life & it's getting passed down to my only female cousin that side (the aunt's daughter)...

...and I'm expected to fall into the same trap.