The always-interesting Ted Gioia is a brilliant music critic, but enjoys writing outside those lines as well. Here’s his list of eight ways to evaluate people (including yourself). The first one is “Look at who they marry”.

This choice tells you about their own innermost longings, expectations, and needs. It tells you what they think of themselves, and what they think they deserve in life (or will settle for). It is, I believe, the clearest indicator of priorities and values you will ever find.

And don’t get too cocky in the process. As he goes on to say, “Perhaps the character you need to assess is your own.”