Baa Bah The sound of settling..

Death cab for cutie rocks. I know a lot of people have jumped on their wagon since some of their songs have been aired on OC but I prefer the more offbeat songs with simpler lyrics like "The sound of settling."
"Our youth is fleeting
old age is just around the bend
and i can't wait to go grey

and i'll sit and wonder
of every love that could've been
if i'd only thought of something charming to say.

baa bah, this is the sound of settling
baa bah, baa bah"

I wonder how many people really end up settling, what drives you to that point? I still believe in the zsa zsa zsu that chemistry, the undeniable compatability.. less adjusting and more embracing.. but is every relationship that at the first and even in the truest of love do u end up settling at some point?
I would like to belive I haven't settled and I know I have that somehting something, but that was then and this is now, I mean when time goes by doens't every relationship evolve into something like friendship. I had so many expectations when I was younger, but it wasn't till I put them at the back of my mind and embrace the notion of a "less that perfect" man that I ended up with the kind of relationship I wanted. Was that settling? But by settling for someone, I ended up with that something.
And now even though my perfect man might be out there somewhere and I am young enough and have the opportunity at hand to keep myself open to finding him, yet I choose not too. Because I am happy where I am and if I am already happy what does euphoria matter, it boils down to the same thing in the end: satisfaction with who you are with and where you are at. But people still call that settling.
I was talking to a tute mate of mine today. He's 38, back at university, an established writer yet he wants the experience of being an undergrad. With 5 major relationships under his belt – the last one a whooping six years, domestic partnership and all – he claims he's never been dumped. Each relationship ended up with the same emptiness, the zone where both of you go on about your lives and you live like roomates who have sex. The groundbreaking attraction, the feeling of being understood, the connection, etc etc faded into more mundane things. And when he wanted the core shaking, heart thumping romace he fled, jumping onto a next relationship. He claims that is his refusal to settle. But I wonder if its just laziness, doesn't every relationship get stuck in that rut at some time? Since when does romance outweigh stability, security, trust and respect – the products of any fruitful enduring relationship? Do you just abandon the latter four for the zsa zsu? and if you choose stability, trust, etc over it is that settling?
I guess it ultimately boils down to what you prioritise and what you want, setlle for anything else and that is settling. But like death cab chirps so cheerfully "the sound of settling" ain't that bad after all, you can settle and still be miraculously happy. No matter who you are with, their is always the chance there is something better. but when you already got it good, who gives a shit?