---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be…"
description: "\"Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.\" — Nora Ephron"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg"
---

#  Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.

![“Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg)

> “Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.”

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advice to avoid marrying someone you’d rather stay divorced from, emphasizing compatibility and respect.

**In simple terms:** Choose a partner you could still respect if divorced.

Key Takeaway

Marry for compatibility, not convenience.

Themes

relationships marriage compatibility

Mood

cautious pragmatic thoughtful

Type

screenplay line advice quote

When to use this quote

- dating
- engagement
- marriage counseling
- divorce considerations

Key Concepts

ethics long‑term planning emotional health

Questions to Reflect On

- What values are non‑negotiable in a partner?
- How do you assess long‑term compatibility?

A Different Perspective

People may stay in unhappy marriages due to fear or social pressure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Funny relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-relationship/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [“But when, as is most often the case, the husband and wife accept the external obligation to live together all their lives and have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-when-as-is-most-often-the-case-the-husband-and-wife-accept-the/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [I didn't want to get divorced, but at the point where your children are part of it, you have to do something. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-harlech/i-didn-t-want-to-get-divorced-but-at-the-point-where-your-children/)

[Amanda Harlech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-harlech/)

> [Don't marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-marry-a-man-unless-you-would-be-proud-to-have-a-son-exactly/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Do you know anybody under 25 that gives a damn whether you marry a man if you're a man or if you marry a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-nash/do-you-know-anybody-under-25-that-gives-a-damn-whether-you-marry-a/)

[Graham Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-nash/)

> [If I ever find myself in North Carolina I shall marry a man just to feel safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-brand/if-i-ever-find-myself-in-north-carolina-i-shall-marry-a-man-just-to/)

[Russell Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-brand/)

> [“A woman does not marry with a man for his wealth, unless he is too rich and a man does not marry with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/a-woman-does-not-marry-with-a-man-for-his-wealth-unless-he-is-too/)

[M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/)

> [I can only do what's easy. I can only entice and be enticed. I can't, and won't, attempt difficult relations. If I marry it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-only-do-what-s-easy-i-can-only-entice-and-be-enticed-i-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To marry a man that u don't love is putting your life into an endless despair...Marry a man whom you love and being contented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya/to-marry-a-man-that-u-don-t-love-is-putting-your-life-into-an-endless/)

[Tanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya/)

> [They can get married. They can marry a man if they're a woman. Or they can marry a woman if they're a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/they-can-get-married-they-can-marry-a-man-if-they-re-a-woman-or-they/)

[Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/)

> [Dont marry a man who doesnt love his mother and a woman who hasnt been a good daughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/dont-marry-a-man-who-doesnt-love-his-mother-and-a-woman-who-hasnt/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [The trouble is you almost have to marry a man before you can find out the sort of wife he needs; and usually it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/the-trouble-is-you-almost-have-to-marry-a-man-before-you-can-find-out/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [I want to marry a man that will treat me like a queen, so my son knows how to treat a girl and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-marry-a-man-that-will-treat-me-like-a-queen-so-my-son-knows/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Never agree to marry a man because he has potential. Men are not houses, they do not make good fixer-uppers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-agree-to-marry-a-man-because-he-has-potential-men-are-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A single woman should only marry a man she can follow: Ladies if you are single, be very, very careful who you date and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/a-single-woman-should-only-marry-a-man-she-can-follow-ladies-if-you/)

[Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/)

> [“Never marry a man who won’t listen to you or who doesn’t respect you, no matter how sexy he may appear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-mooney/never-marry-a-man-who-won-t-listen-to-you-or-who-doesn-t-respect-you/)

[Bryan Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-mooney/)

## More by Nora Ephron

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“That's the catch about betrayal, of course: that it feels good, that there's something immensely pleasurable about moving from a complicated relationship which involves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/that-s-the-catch-about-betrayal-of-course-that-it-feels-good-that/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-whole-purpose-of-places-like-starbucks-is-for-people-with-no/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [Death is a sniper. It strikes people you love, people you like, people you know - it's everywhere. You could be next. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/death-is-a-sniper-it-strikes-people-you-love-people-you-like-people/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> ['When you slip on a banana peel, people laugh at you. When you tell people you slipped on a banana peel, it's your laugh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/when-you-slip-on-a-banana-peel-people-laugh-at-you-when-you-tell/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“I wish he were better at hailing taxis than I am; on the other hand, I realize that expectation is culturally conditioned, utterly foolish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-wish-he-were-better-at-hailing-taxis-than-i-am-on-the-other-hand-i/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [You enter into a certain amount of madness when you marry a person with pets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-enter-into-a-certain-amount-of-madness-when-you-marry-a-person/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [I never went near the Wellesley College chapel in my four years there, but I am still amazed at the amount of Christian charity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-never-went-near-the-wellesley-college-chapel-in-my-four-years-there/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [You can't call yourself a feminist if you don't believe in the right to abortion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/you-can-t-call-yourself-a-feminist-if-you-don-t-believe-in-the-right/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“I always read the last page of a book first so that if I die before I finish I'll know how it turned out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-always-read-the-last-page-of-a-book-first-so-that-if-i-die-before-i/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“If I was home alone at night, I cooked myself an entire meal from one of these cookbooks. Then I sat down in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/if-i-was-home-alone-at-night-i-cooked-myself-an-entire-meal-from-one/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“The next man I was involved with lived in Boston. He taught me to cook mushrooms. He taught me that if you heat the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/the-next-man-i-was-involved-with-lived-in-boston-he-taught-me-to-cook/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/whatever-you-choose-however-many-roads-you-travel-i-hope-that-you/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [A man who finishes a book is always alone when he finishes it...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/a-man-who-finishes-a-book-is-always-alone-when-he-finishes-it/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“I hear myself saying these words: What this movement is about is options. I say it to friends who are frustrated, or housebound, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-hear-myself-saying-these-words-what-this-movement-is-about-is/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

[Explore all 272 Nora Ephron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

## More Divorced quotes

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

> [Nobody wants to get divorced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-miller/nobody-wants-to-get-divorced/)

[Ben Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-miller/)

> [The psychological condition of fear is divorced from any concrete and true immediate danger. It comes in many forms: unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness, tension,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-psychological-condition-of-fear-is-divorced-from-any-concrete-and/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [My parents are divorced, and that was the last thing I wanted for myself. I waited until I was 36 to propose, and I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-duhamel/my-parents-are-divorced-and-that-was-the-last-thing-i-wanted-for/)

[Josh Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-duhamel/)

> [We're all divorced from reality; the only question is whether you're paying alimony or receiving it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/we-re-all-divorced-from-reality-the-only-question-is-whether-you-re/)

[John Alejandro King Aka The Covert Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-alejandro-king-aka-the-covert-comic/)

> [In 2011, I announced that I was going to retire, and my agent panicked. So she says: 'No, no, no. You have to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/in-2011-i-announced-that-i-was-going-to-retire-and-my-agent-panicked/)

[Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/)

> [I have a son, and I was married for twenty years, and I got divorced, and there's a new woman in my life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kraftsow/i-have-a-son-and-i-was-married-for-twenty-years-and-i-got-divorced/)

[Gary Kraftsow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kraftsow/)

> [Characterization is not divorced from plot, not a coat of paint you slap on after the structure of events is already built. Rather characterization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-kress/characterization-is-not-divorced-from-plot-not-a-coat-of-paint-you/)

[Nancy Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-kress/)

> [I always worry that people are going to be very confused; sometimes timelines get confused with how movies get made. So when I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-fischer/i-always-worry-that-people-are-going-to-be-very-confused-sometimes/)

[Jenna Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-fischer/)

> [It's a really weird thing, modern divorce. I found out I was getting divorced on television. That was kind of weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/it-s-a-really-weird-thing-modern-divorce-i-found-out-i-was-getting/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I often say that if you want to really want to understand the contract of marriage, just ask anyone who has been divorced. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-often-say-that-if-you-want-to-really-want-to-understand-the/)

[Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/)

> [The hardest thing about being at Sony was not the travel; it was being divorced from the public and private life I had in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/the-hardest-thing-about-being-at-sony-was-not-the-travel-it-was-being/)

[Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/)

> [People don't get married to get divorced. Maybe people weren't meant to be together forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-valli/people-don-t-get-married-to-get-divorced-maybe-people-weren-t-meant/)

[Frankie Valli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-valli/)

> [I sort of gave up on this whole human adventure a long time ago, divorced myself from it emotionally. It gives me an artistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-sort-of-gave-up-on-this-whole-human-adventure-a-long-time-ago/)

[George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/)

Browse all 651 Divorced quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nora Ephron"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-be-divorced-from/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Divorced"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-be-divorced-from/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/nora-ephron-1217_divorced_never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-b_2481478.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from.” — Nora Ephron",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Nora Ephron",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Never marry a man you wouldn't...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-be-divorced-from/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/never-marry-a-man-you-wouldn-t-want-to-be-divorced-from/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
