This question is inspired by my father. He is a retired Westerner living in Southeast Asia who is dating two sisters; they are obviously with him for the money, and he outright admits it. Personally, I could never find fulfillment in that kind of arrangement, but I’m curious about how others feel.
no it’s not.
for some folks that is all they want from a relationship, and that is fulfillment. all the other ‘stuff’ is extra, and undesirable. the other factor is also the stability of such a relationship with clearly defined roles and expectations.
the notion of ‘self fulfillment’ or ‘true love’ is ultra-modern, and a lot of psychologists argue it’s unrealistic to expect so much from another person. historically, relationships were very transactional and practical and erotic desire was seen as distinct realm from marriages and long term relationships.
I live in the USA and I’ve been dating for two decades. There is a huge uptick lately in folks seeking transactional relationships because they feel like other types of relationships are too complex and fraught to ever be happy in them. That includes women. Exchanging money for sex and security is far more simple, and for a lot of folks the concept of emotional fulfillment doesn’t exist, it’s quite bizarre nostly for western rich people with too much money and free time.
there’s some distance between just having a (transactional) relationship and a true-love relationship where “I like you for who you are and the comfort of being around you, and you feel the same” fits in, though
Very good point!