While the phrase “opposites attract” may not always be right, it is true that you should find someone who’s different than you in many ways. Of course, you want to have things in common with your significant other but differences are what define a relationship.
It may not be the most obvious choice, but the love of your life will be someone who challenges you, even if they drive you crazy.
Don’t Go For The Easy Route
A lot of the time we like to go for the easiest option, the relationships that work well without any effort. Because of this, most people end up dating their mirror image, only to find that the relationship isn’t as great as they thought that it would be.
For over a year I dated someone exactly like me. We had all the same interests, opinions, likes, and dislikes. It didn’t turn into some fairytale romance. What happened in the end, was that we both got bored. We stayed the same people for that year, never venturing out of our comfort zones. We eventually had to break it off because we were just too similar to be compatible.
Challenges Will Help You Grow
What would happen if you went through life, never taking a look at someone else’s point of view? You’d never grow or develop your personality any further. Sure, having someone who challenges you can drive you completely insane sometimes, but it’s an important part of your personal growth.
Find someone who’s different from you. Find someone who has different opinions on important topics, that eats different food, or enjoys movies that you wouldn’t normally watch. You’ll learn to view life through someone else’s eyes and become a much more well-rounded person because of it.
Maybe they’ll teach you things about yourself that you never even knew. You could find that you really enjoy rap, even though you thought that you just liked rock. Perhaps you’ll find out that you love to go hiking, even though you used to just sit at home and watch TV. You’ll experience the world in a new light and discover new parts of yourself because of your partner every day.
Sometimes, Arguing is Good
No one likes to argue with their partner, but sometimes it’s a good thing. No, full-on fighting is not ideal, but when it’s more of a debate than a fight, you can learn a lot. Having someone challenge you constantly makes you take a deeper look at yourself and your opinions. If you have someone around that thinks differently than you, you’ll both learn so much from it, even if you don’t agree with each other by the end of it.
Sometimes these debates can escalate into a fight. One of you will say something to annoy the other or you’ll both be stubborn on a certain topic. If you know how to apologize and patch things up again when things get heated, then this isn’t something to worry about. You two will be strong enough not to dwell on it.
Let Two People Become One
Yin and Yang is an ancient Chinese symbol. It shows how opposite forces complement each other and depend on one another. This philosophy can be easily translated into the world of romantic relationships.
Let your partner be someone who fills in for you where you’re weak. Where you’re strong, they’re not. Through combining both of your strengths and weaknesses together, you create a powerful bond that could never be broken. Together, you could take on the whole world knowing that you have each other’s backs.
Being with someone who’s so different from you is not the easiest relationship to start, but it will end up being so much stronger and fulfilling than anything else. Choose to be with someone who challenges you, even if it bothers you sometimes. You’ll both learn from each other every day and grow together.
Have you dated someone who’s challenged you? Share your experiences with us.
