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Married at First Sight's Nadia made the right decision staying with Anthony.

Nadia Stamp’s decision to stay with Married At First Sight partner Anthony Manton was the best move she’s made all season.

It’s the decision that’s going to help her find true love. It’s just not going to be with him.

Anthony is the kind of person you date right before you meet somebody incredible. He is charismatic, problematic and all too familiar.

We have all dated an Anthony.

For all the juicy ins and outs of Married at First Sight, listen to The Binge. 

The Anthonys of this world teach us all about the red flags to look out for in future partners. The small things, like controlling what we wear, to the larger issues like name-calling  and outright possessiveness.

Nadia’s choice may have been painful to witness,  but it serves a purpose. It reminds every viewer that strong, intelligent women, like Nadia, can still see good in bad relationships.

During her speech in the commitment ceremony, she even explicitly recognised the issues of the relationship.

“I’ve realised that in the end..the good outweighs the bad, and I’m ready to take this leap with you,” she said.

We can pretend like it was absurd that she chose to stay with him but it’s not absurd, it’s realistic. It was the most realistic moment of the whole series.

The happily re-united couple. (Source: Channel 9.)
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This is not a popular opinion. I understand the rage that everyone is so happily offering up on social media. I understand how frustrating it can be to watch somebody - even a stranger - give a bad relationship another chance.

But Nadia is no fool. She's just somebody who fell in love with a person she shouldn't. We all have.

We all might again.

There are so many valuable lessons to be taken from the Anthonys of this world. And this is not a personal attack on him, but rather, on people, male or female, who fail to realise how their actions hurt others.

Anthony expresses his relief. (Source: Channel 9.)
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These are the kinds of people you thank yourself for dating later, who make you appreciate all the wonderful qualities of new partners.

Where he or she was cruel, they are kind; where he or she was harsh, they are soft.

The decision to stay together might feel like a slap in the face but let's think about it beyond the initial rage.

Do you have strong feelings about MAFS? Us too. Listen to our Married At First Sight recap podcast. Post continues after audio. 

MAFS has presented their dynamic to be fraught with volatility, negativity and possession. I would be surprised if they were still together in a month, let alone a lifetime.

Instead of focusing on how wrong she was, let's view at her choice as a learning experience we can share, just as we have shared her rage, happiness and initial hope.

Nadia made a decision last night that will help her in every future relationship. Because sometimes, you need to date somebody truly wrong for you to know what's right.

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