Is it Harder to Be Elizabeth or Jane?

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Despite complex courting rituals, long dancing parties and uncomfortable stays, I am beginning to suspect that discovering regency matrimony is entirely less complicated that just falling in love in the 21st century. Pinning down an amiable man with a substantial fortune sounds a lot more complicated. But recently, I've been feeling that that would be a lot easier than attempting to identify your best friend for forever.

Maybe it's because we place ridiculous expectations on modern relationships and we have advances in psychology to back us up.  Maybe, and this is perhaps the more probable hypothesis, it's because I think too much and usually want to take more from life than it is supposed to give.

To illustrate, I present exhibit A Jane Bennet and exhibit B Elizabeth.

A: Jane faces more than she would probably care for of ache and heartbreak. She finds exactly what she was hoping for, thinks she's lost it before it was hers but then gets it in the end. As a result she is rendered completely deliriously happy without a thought or care otherwise.

B: Elizabeth, on the other hand, doesn't quite believe that what she requires actually exists in human form. Perhaps that's why when she runs smack into him, she comes away with the impression that he's exactly the opposite. While we hope that clinging to a standard or a dream--whichever you want to call it--will result in happily ever after, the ride there is sometimes a roller coaster of frustration, excitement, disappointment, confusion and wondering what on earth we really do want and how to wait.

There is probably not one best way to go about the matter because every story will be as unique as every person. But when waiting for happily ever after, expect pain as well as your allotted smattering of joy.