I used to think that family was totally irrelevant and that people who looked at family were closed-minded, but over the years, I have come to realize that that was close-minded of me, and that family may matter to some extent.
The question is to what extent and in what ways. But even that is individual (and may depend on the family to some extent). I can see how it’s possible that for people who are coming from a different kind of background than I am, certain things might matter that are hard for me to understand.
I am not disagreeing withe the above comments at all – I actually very much agree – but I also believe that it’s important to try to see both sides and not be too judgmental of others who are coming from a different kind of background/mentality and may look at things differently.
And I think it is pretty obvious that when it comes to many things, people are highly influenced by their families. So while the individual is more important than the family, it may make sense to try to find someone who is match in both ways if possible.