Why settle?

As I get older and my friends start to get married I have to ask sometimes... Why settle?
I don't think marriage in and of itself is settling, no no no.
It's more like that line on Arrested Development when George Michael is dating Anne and everyone is like "her?"    That's settling.
I see a number of people doing this,  marrying anyone with a pulse.   I just want to tell you.  All of you.  If you break up with someone.  I PROMISE!  someone else will come along who is better.  PROMISE!!!!!!! Unless you tell yourself you'll never meet anyone else.  That's another story...
What I want for my friends is when I meet their perspective partner I want to be like, that guy/girl is WAAAYYY too good for my friend.  Then I'll be cool with them getting married.

Maybe I am trying to figure out if I am settling myself or if other fears/insecurities are just whispering it in my ear.  I want to say to myself that old cliche "trust your gut!"  But it's hard to trust your gut when it comes to relationships because your mind, your tummy and your heart keep trying to talk over each other and it makes for quite a mess and many indecipherable messages. 
  
I don't think either of my parents settled.  They were right for each other.  I see some couples who clearly settled like 40 years ago and now its too late to worry about it and I guess they have figured out how to be away from each other enough for it not to matter.  But I don't think that is anyone's goal. 

I knew a guy in LA.  A HOT guy who married a women who was both unattractive and unpleasant.   Sometimes I felt like she bullied him into a relationship but then I'm also like, he's in it so he must be "willing" on some level.  They got married a year ago and on his facebook relationship status says "its complicated" (which I can assure you annoys her to no end).
 I knew when he was getting married it was a mistake all around.  From the way their relationship started to the way he talked about it at the time.   I never said to him, don't do it because it really wasn't my business, though in retrospect I should have.   We weren't that close (so no biggie if he didn't talk to me every again) and maybe it would have made an impact.  Or at least it would be nice to have someone acknowledge that you are too good for a situation.  I have a terrible job right now and I dream of someone turning around to me and being like, you are too good for this shit! 

I looked at his wedding pictures recently and a lot of them are just too obvious as to his settlin'.  He has pursed lips, his body is turned away from her, ON THEIR FUCKING WEDDING DAY.  
You can tell she's having a great day, but he only looks happy when he's with his friends or family. 
I'm like this guy could have a better girl the very next day if he broke up with this lady.  WHY DOES HE SETTLE?  Lazy? Fear? Does he think things will get better?

Not settling might take more work in the short term, but I think settling requires much more work in the long term. Think about it....