Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is not marriage an open question, when it is alleged, from the beginning of the world, that such who are in the institution wish to get out and such as are out wish to get in.
Summary
This quote suggests that marriage is a dilemma because those who are married often desire to be free and those who are single desire to be married. It implies that humans have a propensity to desire what they do not have, leading to a perpetual cycle of longing for the opposite of our current situation. Therefore, the idea of marriage as a settled institution is being challenged, implying that it is a constant source of questioning and unrest.