Dating and marriage is nothing much more than a conditions exchange, maybe the furthest relationship based on true love, isn't it?

[Anonymous]

For example, something like mother's love might be closest to true love, I'd say even friendship is closer. If you define true love as one that is unconditional and unchanging.

[Loth2770]

All relationships involve a conditions exchange—or in other terms, all relationships have laws. The difference between marriage and other human relationships is that those laws are formalized and (usually) clearly expressed. For example, in a friendship, there is usually unspoken rules that you don’t just abandon your friend drunk at a bar. Or with a mother and child, there is the unwritten (but often spoken!) rule that has full authority over a child.

All relationships are capable of expressing true love, and all are capable of not reaching that point as well. Personally I think a spouse-spouse relationship is the most capable as:

1). It can be most vulnerable, physically and emotionally.
2). It’s formalized and thus offers a kind of security that friendships do not have.
3). It should be equal—no partner should dominate the other partner’s life completely, but also neither should be completely independent. Contrast this with a parent-child or teacher-student relationship.

[midnightmoon05]

Not my my marriages… some out there seems like that.