After the new version of "Anna Karenina" was screened, many people feel sorrow about the affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky as well as the tragic marriage between Karenina and her husband Count Karenin. Modern men and women wrongly believe that they cannot find true love. Many of them are passionately in love with someone before marriage, but easily get lost in marriage.

Chinese real estate billionaire Wang Shi’s divorce recently caused quite a stir among the Chinese Internet users, and many netizens said worriedly, “I do not believe in love anymore.” Wang is a real estate developer rather than a missionary, and his divorce cannot really change many people’s outlook on marriage. It is the disintegration of the traditional Chinese marriage structure that has aroused public anxiety. Is love still a precondition for marriage? Is it still necessary to be faithful to one’s spouse to the end? Such questions have become the focus of discussion among Chinese netizens.

Chinese-style marriages that advocate a harmonious family used to be generally considered to be super stable. However, data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed that 465,000 Chinese couples divorced in the first quarter of 2011 alone, equivalent to a daily average of 5,000 divorces. China’s divorce rate had been on a steady rise for seven consecutive years as of 2011.

A writer said, “Over time, the two mutually complementary people slowly and willingly change themselves for the sake of loving each other.” After marriage, people should do subtraction in terms of emotions by removing their idealization and “edges and corners.” Life is full of realistic and trivial things, and a lasting marriage requires mutual tolerance and understanding.

If love is an adventure, blindly chasing love will be the biggest risk. When choosing a spouse, one should not indulge in wishful thinking or blindly keep up with the Joneses, and should know clearly who suits himself or herself the best. It is better to marry a right one than marry a rich one. Eminent French writer Victor Hugo said that love is a mix of all emotions, including admiration for the body and spirit. Therefore, self-restraint is also a major contributing factor to a happy marriage.

In order to resist the temptation of extramarital affairs, couples should constantly add fresh impetus to their marriages, develop common interests, and have more emotional exchanges with each other. Even spats may improve their relationship. In addition, it is necessary for one side to make a concession first and to allow each other some personal space.

What does marriage mean? For some, it means the beginning of a new family and new life as well as the continuation of love. For others, it means a shortcut to wealth and power as they believe a good marriage can save them at least 10 years of personal struggle. Certain male single billionaires in Guangzhou launched a campaign in 10 cities for finding a spouse, and their criteria involved appearance, educational background, and virginity, but did not include love. Such marriages are not just a matter of lack of love, but also a matter of shame.

Marriage is nothing but emotions, loyalty, and responsibility. Over time, one will find that they are all the spin-offs of love. “Marriage is immoral without love,” said German socialist theorist Friedrich Engels. In fact, marriage without love is bound to fail. Chinese society should adhere to freedom of marriage based on love.

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