Dating: Forbes confirms what Indian wisdom already knew

Human beings, however, are not commodities. A relationship cannot be evaluated like an online purchase, where dissatisfaction simply leads to a return or replacement. Two individuals inevitably bring different personalities, expectations, weaknesses and family backgrounds. A meaningful relationship requires patience precisely because the other person is not a customised product. This is where Indian civilisational thought offers a fundamentally different understanding.

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The institution of vivaha was therefore never merely a formalisation of romantic attraction. Marriage was understood as a commitment to share the journey of life. It connected two individuals, but also created responsibilities towards children, parents, family and society. The `grihastha' stage was not simply about personal pleasure; it was about building and sustaining the household, which Indian thought regarded as a foundation of social life.

Love requires accepting imperfections. Endless choice encourages the search for someone apparently perfect. And when expectations inevitably collide with reality, the result is burnout.

The Forbes finding that 53 per cent of singles experience dating burnout and 46 per cent take breaks to recharge is therefore particularly significant. The exhaustion is not necessarily caused by the absence of potential partners; it may be caused by the manner in which relationships are being pursued. The 41 per cent who believe romantic media have created unrealistic expectations point towards another problem. Films, television and social media frequently present romance as permanent excitement, dramatic gestures and effortless emotional compatibility. Real life is different. The strongest relationships are often built through ordinary routines, mutual adjustment and standing together when life becomes difficult.

A machine can simulate affection; it cannot share a human life. It cannot grow old with someone, raise children, face illness, shoulder family responsibilities or make sacrifices out of genuine affection. Human relationships acquire value precisely because they involve two imperfect people learning to live with each other's imperfections. Indian thought understood this complexity through the idea of dharma. Relationships were not merely arrangements for individual gratification. They were fields in which duty, affection, sacrifice and self-discipline were practised.

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There is nothing immature about falling in love. What is immature is expecting love to remain permanently convenient. A relationship becomes meaningful when two people learn patience, restraint, forgiveness and responsibility. These are not outdated virtues. They are the very foundations upon which enduring relationships are built. The Forbes statistics should therefore be read as more than numbers about American singles. They offer a warning about what happens when the search for companionship becomes detached from the discipline required to sustain companionship.

Indian civilization has an answer that is neither anti-modern nor anti-love. It simply expects that desire must be guided by dharma, affection must mature into responsibility, and freedom must be accompanied by commitment. Dating may offer endless choices. Love demands the maturity to make a choice and stand by it.