A Marked Improvement

I've been reading a lot of Jane Austen lately, and a central theme when characters would pick someone to court and eventually marry would be improvement. Improvement meant that, by each others influence, their characters would improve and faults be smoothed away. If the man was too lively his friends would try to find him a more serious wife, if the woman was abrasive a man with a gentle disposition would be her match. It was reprehensible back then to marry someone who lacked morals or would lead to the deterioration of your character. Romance was more than just being satisfied with someone, it was being satisfied and becoming a better person.
I'm a big fan of this idea. I think too often people pair themselves up with others who carve away all that is admirable in them. Girls are led to do stupid things, boys try to impress, and a general disservice is done to each by the other who they think made them so happy. I wish the tradition of improvement would come back into play within our culture. When my generation and a few before it are deciding whether or not to date a person, they only think of looks or wealth and very little of their morals, disposition, or temper. Aren't these the most important? Aren't those the things that will affect the relationship the most? What does the color of their hair matter when they fly into a rage at the drop of a pin? And a crooked nose stops being so objectionable when the person it belongs to loves you unquestioningly.
Anywho, these are just the musings of myself as of late. Enjoy, or not, it's out of my hands.