Why do women marry self-absorbed monsters like Peterson and Hacking? An alarm bell should goe off in women's heads. Brrrring! Potential murderer! Run for your life! Hmm, I'll have to work on that. Could be a big moneymaker.
Because they've been brainwashed to believe that marriage is an essential part of life, and that once you do it, it's desperately important to hold it together "'til death do us part" -- which is unfortunately what probably happened here. Since they're so committed to the idea of getting/being married, they blind themselves to the real character of their boyfriends/fiances, who are generally showering them with romantic nonsense before the marriage. Once married, when things start to get unpleasant, they go into the "marriage is forever and we just need to work on it" mindset, for which they will receive plenty of support from society at large, and the LDS Church in particular. They are also convinced that "trusting" people is a virtue, and they are especially convinced that spouses can and should "trust" each other, so they "trust" their scumbag husbands, never verifying odd things they notice, and just plain refusing to notice red flags waving wildly.
It's a very dangerous and very common approach to life among women. Laci and Lori are just the extreme, highly publicized cases; there are literally millions out there practicing this mindset, and ending up getting beaten, watching the kids get beating, having the family finances frittered away by the husband's extracuricular activities, catching STDs from their trusted husbands, etc.
It's a scientific fact that women are attracted to men with firm, round butts. Do Peterson and Hacking have firm, round butts?
Because he is cute.
Because there is something in it for them. Nothing in this world as complex as human behavior is ever as simple as it seems, eh?
"Why do women marry self-absorbed monsters like Peterson and Hacking?"
From everything I can gather, he wasn't always a monster. They knew each other since they were in high school. Mark is the fifth of seven children. His parents are -- according to everyone who knows them well -- really wonderful people. I've met them both in business settings, and they were friendly and kind.
Two of my daughters were friends with two of their daughters. In each case, my daughters said the Hacking girls were the nicest people they'd ever met.
Lori Soares wasn't spoiled. She was raised by a single mom, who worked for the Church. None of those jobs are extravangantly paid.
The Hackings, of course, had money, since Dad is a doctor. But I don't think they were spoiled.
Mark Hacking was, by all accounts, a sweet young man. Something happened to him. Maybe drugs. Who knows?
My daughter's father in law was his bishop before Mark was married. Bishops have to interview the people in their wards. They know where the warts are. He said Mark seemed like a fine young man. According to all Lori's friends, Mark was wonderful. That's why during the first couple of days, all Lori's friends -- who had known them both for years -- were saying there was no way Mark would ever hurt Lori.
This has hit everyone who knew them like a ton of bricks.