If I had a dime for every time I have heard the platitude "opposites attract" - in specific reference to personalities - I would be a wealthy Mage. Yet if a dime was taken out of my bank account every time that I have seen the relationship involving people with opposing personalities crash and burn, the amount I owed would be on par with the current national debt of the USA.

And yet, popular cultures seems to uphold and promote the notion that opposites not only attract, but that for any relationship to succeed the individuals involved must be opposite compared to each other.

Although I have experienced people with opposing personalities being intrigued with an opposite other, due to the contrasting differences of their comparative personalities, I simply and sincerely have not experienced any people with opposing personalities "make it" - beyond anecdotal tales recounted and/or dramatized via novels, tv, movies, and on the internet.

What I have experienced is people with complementary personalities (which is not the same as opposite, or opposing, personalities) cultivate and maintain harmonious relationships together.

Part of such complementation involves differences of personalities. The differences are such that each person brings something unique to the table that can then be fitted togther, like connecting pieces of a puzzle, or a key to a lock. They do not loose their individuality in such connection, because without continuing to provide their unique contribution, the unionized result cannot be maintained.

Part of such complementation also involves similarities of personalities. The similarities enable them to be of one accord together, to be on the "same page" when it comes to their consideration of - and approaches to - various issues. In this way, instead of being "opposites attract", it is more "like attracts like".

What I wonder is why popular culture tends to uphold the notion that for a relationship to work people have to be opposites.

Has anyone else noticed this based upon their experiences?

This post has been edited by Praxis: May 2 2006, 06:39 AM