I agree with all of that, also from experience. Of course you should know the person you plan on marrying extremely well, and know that you want the same things out of life before you decide to get engaged. I’m not recommending that anyone go out there and propose to a stranger. I am talking about when there has been a blunt, “do you want to get married,” conversation or conversations. Couples who have decided they are going to get married, have gone ring shopping together, etc. Once a decision like that has been made, the eventual ring ceremony is not a proposal. It’s acting out a proposal, which might be fun for the couple, it might be meaningful for them in some way, and it might be the right thing for them to do because they want that memory in their lives. All I’m saying is that act is not their “proposal.” Once a couple has a mutually decided to get married, the proposal has already happened.