Editor:I was surprised by Nicholas Pappas’ editorial (“Be your own valentine: Question your relationship,” Feb. 12). It occurred to me while reading it that perhaps the reason 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce is that people are doing exactly what he advises. That is to say, marriages are ending because one, or both, of the partners in the relationship are looking for something better. I am not necessarily a proponent of the “sanctity of marriage,” but I am a proponent of people finding happiness. The simple fact of life is that a lot of guys like to spend a portion of their time on the couch playing “Halo 2” and a lot of women eat massive quantities of ice cream while watching “Grey’s Anatomy.” Is this really a problem? What is so wrong with these people getting together and sharing their mutual activities with each other? You are never going to have a world where all men and all women are hardcore rock climbers, sorority/fraternity brats or trendy bar-hoppers.Pappas suggests that a better world would be one in which nobody was ever satisfied to be who he or she is. I am suggesting that a better world would be one where people found their niche and settled into it. Be happy with who you are, and who you are with. Don’t let jerks like Pappas tell you that enjoying your hobbies is a detriment to society because it forces you to date within a lower caste. Frankly, I think the world would be a better place without the sort of arrogance demonstrated in Pappas’ editorial.

Jake Van AlstyneJunior, Chemical Engineering