A Father’s Advice to His Children

If You’re Smart You Mary Up. If You’re Dumb You Mary Down.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who can help you become more than you can become on your own. If you’re dumb you will marry someone you can control and push around.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who will encourage you to push yourself and do more. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who will tell you why you can’t do more.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who sees how bad things have been and finds ways to make things better. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who sees how bad things have been and finds someone to blame for it.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who will help you look for ways to accomplish more. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who will help you look for ways to accomplish less.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who reminds you that you have untapped potential. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who will remind you that you have reached your potential.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who will question how you came to your decision. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who never questions you.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who is not needy or dependent. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who is needy and dependent.

If you’re smart you will ask how you mate views raising and training children. If you’re dumb you will ignore this question because it may cause an argument.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who will teach their children to become all they can be. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who will teach their children to become what they want them to be.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who has high values, morals, and standards so that you’re children will become good citizens. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who has no values, morals, or standards and your children will likely end up in prison.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who is well grounded in their spiritual beliefs. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who does not know the basis for their spiritual beliefs.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who will help you grow in your spiritual walk. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who will be dependent on you for their spiritual walk.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who is growing in their spiritual walk. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who has no spiritual walk.

If you’re smart you will recognize the value of having similar deep spiritual convictions. If you’re dumb you will ignore any thought of deeply held spiritual convictions.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who has their core spiritual beliefs based on God’s unconditional truth. If you’re dumb you will marry someone who has their core spiritual beliefs based on man’s conditional truth.

If you’re smart you will marry someone who appreciates views different from their own because it forces them to reevaluate their core beliefs and learn more. If you’re dumb you will marry a person who is intolerant of views different from their own because they are insecure in their beliefs and lack supporting evidence.

Now look around you. Look at the people who are happy and ask yourself if they married up or if they married down. Look at those who are unhappy and ask yourself the same question. Now which do you want to be: happy or unhappy? Which are you: smart or dumb?

So before you ever give that guy or gal on a second look you’d better write down the answers to these questions, and if you don’t have overwhelming facts don’t show that you’re marry up then you’d better run for cover as fast as you can before you ruin the rest of your life. Why? Because the conclusion is very simple: Make smart choices and you will be a lot happier than if you make dumb choices.