On Love by JD Vance

Look, first of all, I think it’s important to understand that love is fundamentally a framework.

People say, “JD, are you in love?” And I say, that’s the wrong question. The question is: what is the alternative?

Because if you look at the data — and I think the data are actually very clear — there are substantial benefits associated with a long-term romantic arrangement.

Now, of course, no relationship is perfect. People break commitments. They miss anniversaries. They forget birthdays. That’s reality. But what we’ve done — and I think this is a major achievement — is create a structure of accountability and mutual investment.

When I met Usha, I recognized that there was a tremendous opportunity for cooperation.

And what I said was: let’s see if we can build something durable.

Now, critics will say, “Well, JD, what about passion?”

And I think that’s a fair question.

But I would encourage people to look at the outcomes.

We’ve seen strong growth in affection. We’ve seen significant gains in trust. We’ve seen remarkable progress in family formation. Frankly, the indicators are very encouraging.

Do challenges remain? Of course.

Love is not a blood oath.

Love requires verification.

You don’t just sign a memorandum of understanding and assume everything is going to work. You have to monitor compliance. You have to ensure that both parties are honoring their commitments.

And I think what we’ve demonstrated is that when two people negotiate in good faith, there can be real transformation.

At the end of the day, if you think love is a bad deal, I would simply ask: what is your alternative?