Married At First Sight
Top Tips for Relationship Behaviour.
Why MAFS is good for old and young alike.
MAFS is not a trendy way of talking about arithmetic, it’s the acronym for the hit reality programme Married at First Sight, which has now been franchised to many countries around the world. For those who haven’t watched it, it’s easy to assume it’s yet another reality programme where we watch people behaving badly on camera. But the beauty of it - and the reason it could almost count as relationship education - is that it isn’t standard voyeurism. It’s actually an affirmation of how decent behaviour - lack of selfishness, jealousy, grass is greenism - pays, and can lead to lifelong friendships and very occasionally, romantic love.
The concept is basically that of the arranged marriage, except that instead of families choosing spouses, the selections are made by three relationship experts - clinical psychologists,counsellors and the like. They match up couples from the people who have applied to the show. The couple does not meet before the wedding day. The marriage looks and feels like a normal wedding but it is not legally binding. There is a ceremony followed by a reception. And then, the next day, the couple are sent away for a honeymoon. The idea is for them to live together for the next few months.