Want to know who your perfect partner would be? Look in the mirror!
'Opposites attract' and 'variety is the spice of life'? Not according to German researchers.
Oh well, there goes another relationship cliché. German researchers are putting the lie to the old adage that “opposites attract”.
After exhaustive analysis of the responses of more than 12 000 participants in the German Family Panel study, the researchers noticed that the current partners of participants described their personalities in ways that were similar to former partners.
So while people tend to believe that their personality preferences change over time, it appears that people do have a specific “type” that persists across relationships. And that “type” tends to have many of the same characteristics as the person themselves.
In other words, you want to see your type? Then look in the mirror.
Perhaps we are all a bit narcissistic at heart, perhaps we find it difficult to deal with people who are really polar opposites of ourselves.
Or perhaps we hope, deep down, that we’ll agree with each other because we’re so similar.
It’s a bit sad, though, because surely variety is the spice of life.
Being with someone who is markedly different from you can also be a learning experience and also teach you to be less selfish and learn the art of compromise.
But, researchers have to do something to pass the time.
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