roles

i don't get it. recently there has been an overwhelming trend of strong, beautiful, successful women who are with loser dudes, or guys that are far bellow their standards. why it is this and why do we, as women settle for this? i don't have an issue about the woman being the bread winner, but the guy needs to contribute and equally pull his weight. i feel as though guys have more of an issue if they are not the bread winner, almost like its de-masculating him. but in the scenarios that i'm thinking about, these guys don't care that their women are doing everything.
i know we as humans don't like to be lonely, and some believe company (regardless of who) is better than no company. i can understand this, but i don't like this concept. i think this is such a hard subject though because you see scenarios where women are career driven and then end up in their 40s single and wanting a family. it's a shame that we haven't allowed for women to be successful in careers and have a family. it's one or the other. this is not a fair decision.

when you settle, you lose a sense of yourself. it may not be obvious at first, but if you're in a situation where you are settling you realize it and then have to figure out what next. do you continue in this pattern or do you put your foot down and say enough is enough. it's easier to stay then to make a change, but should this be the risk of losing your identity? how do you get out of it?