It's a little complicated because a lot of it also has to do with the way people mentally approach the concept of marriage. In my experience, people from places with arranged marriages view it as "well, whoever I'm with, I can grow to get along with them." I mean, this is going to sound harsh, but I know a bunch of male residents from countries such as those and their wives are all way hotter than they could ever normally get. Now, that's great from the men's standpoint, but the women are actively sacrificing something such as physical attraction for safety and status and stability. It's not to say that they don't develop feelings for one another, but I cannot believe that it is the same feeling as someone who genuinely loves the person they marry. It's more of like a mutual affection. (By the way, I know this sounds like I'm insulting billions of people, but I don't mean it as a put-down.) I do know what you mean about social ties -- often, in those instances, the marriage almost becomes an extension of the community -- but I also wouldn't characterize love as fickle. Probably what you mean is that lust is fickle, and unfortunately that's what marriages or relationships are largely based on in American or Western cultures in many instances.