Letters to the Editor
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Balance
Hmmm. This article seemed to take the position that such classes/seminars are fairly pointless, because love is a crap shoot or a hurricane or whatever, and we need to carpe before we lose the diem.
Fine. Except not so much, in my opinion.
I completely agree that approaching a potential partner with a checklist of questions is unnecessarily neurotic and probably the wrong way to go about things. But I'm all about the idea that love is an action, not just an emotion, and that reason has a large part to play in it.
It sounds like these types of programs would be of a huge benefit to people who would like to 1) learn to communicate better and 2) learn more about themselves and what they're really looking for in a romantic relationship, not just weed out potential jerks. Using reason and caution to approach a relationship doesn't have to be unromantic unless you let it. And I think that being aware of certain cues (and training yourself to look for them) can be hugely important. How a potential partner treats a family member, friend or service worker can throw up possible red flags about compatibility, and I'd rather confront that early on than let myself be blinded by attraction.
It's all about balance. If you're overly analytical or overly emotion-driven, chances are things may not end well. But a good balance can only be more healthy in the long run. I don't see any problem with using this type of a seminar (if that's what floats your boat) in order to figure out more about yourself and your own relationship patterns.