In the delightfully sophomoric movie Clerks 2, Randal tells Dante, “Odds are there’s someone out there who’s a better match for you than the girl you are about to marry.” Even if Dante engaged in the most thorough possible search for a wife (which he certainly didn’t in the movie), Randal’s statement is correct.
Despite that, rational marital search, job search, or search for a high quality/low price product should stop when the gains from additional searches begin to fall short of the cost of spending the time and money searching and of giving up the pleasure of what you can already get.
There is always some job out there that will suit you better, some better match as a mate, or a better deal on a purchase. Randal’s implied advice is bad economics. If followed, it would guarantee permanent bachelorhood for Dante.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
This article reminded me of what my grandmother likes to say: “Keep your head down and be happy with what you have”, and that idea is so depressing.
This will be tough advice for perfectionists
Of course, they are just people who place a higher value on a better match.
That’s exactly what a friend decided about shopping at Costco. It might be possible to find the same (or similar) product elsewhere for less money; but at Costco you know you’re always getting a quality product at a fair (although not necessarily the cheapest) price. Is it really worth the extra effort to POSSIBLY save another few percent?
Dante’s lucky to have the option to get married. I saw the first “Clerks” in a prerelease screening with Kevin Smith present, who filled us in on some additional details. Maybe they’re bonus features on the DVD now, which I haven’t seen.
In the first movie, it’s supposed to be Dante’s day off, but he’s called into work, and it’s just about his worst day every.
In the original cut, Dante is shot and killed as the ultimate irony. Smith was adviced to remove the downer of an ending before getting a distributor.
Finding the best is an impossible thing to do since there is always a better option, somewhere in the globe. The quest in the search of the best will take a lifetime of looking and at the end the best wouldn’t be found.
The opportunity costs are greater than the actual benefits of finding the best, so the search for the best is not worth it.
We all settle for significant others out of laziness? What a dismal view!
How does your wife feel about this, Daniel?
Maybe there was someone out there better for me on the day I married my wife (in 1983). But there is no one out there today for which I would trade my wife. I have zero buyer’s remorse.
Working through problems together has strengthened our relationship. And no one else in this world can understand or appreciate our shared experiences.
I got the better deal …. so my wife may have a different opinion.
Great comic the other day on XKCD (title: Unsatisfied) about this topic.
http://xkcd.com/584/