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Do opposites attract? Here's the answer...

The notion that opposites attract is a persistent myth that many people continue to swear by to this day.

Opposites do attract to a certain degree, but only in the early stages of dating. And, to be honest, I don't know if I would even call it "attraction." A more appropriate word might be "intrigue."

Meeting someone who seems like our complete opposite seems like a breath of fresh air at first. After all, we're used to having friends and dating people who share our interests, so this can feel like a pleasant change.

However, as time wears on, the differences begin to really manifest themselves, and what once seemed like an interesting quality in the other person begins to get on our nerves.

Here are a couple of examples:

  • A liberal person dating a conservative one
  • A neat freak dating a slob
  • An avid football fan dating someone who loathes sports
  • A well-heeled professional dating a person who's constantly broke and unemployed
  • An introvert dating an extrovert
  • A bookworm dating a party lover
  • A smoker dating an overly health-conscious individual
  • A tree hugger dating someone not-so-eco-friendly 
  • And the list goes on...
One would be remiss to think that people this dissimilar could maintain a healthy relationship for a very long time. The only way I see that happening is if one person's quirks or interests rub off on the other, causing the pair to gradually become more alike. 

But this seldom happens when people have vastly different personalities, hobbies, core beliefs, and/or visions for the future. In such cases, the relationships tend to falter, and both parties wind up with partners who better suit them. 

It's more likely for a platonic friendship to carry on under such circumstances, but even then, both individuals may have serious disagreements and nitpick at things they don't like about one another -- resulting in a tension-ridden relationship.

Here's what I want you to take away from this: If you're looking for a long-term friendship or relationship, you're better off meeting people with whom you have a lot in common. 

Again, it doesn't mean a relationship between two drastically different people can't work out, but it takes some compromise on the part of both. If they each refuse to change, the relationship will eventually go up in flames. 
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