ARE BIRDS OF SAME FEATHER LIKELY TO FLOCK IN RELATIONSHIPS?

Do Opposites Attract Or Does Like Attract Like In Relationships? Understanding The Science Of Love. According to Lizette Boreli, In relationships, partners claim they want someone who is different but prefer someone with the same personality. So do opposites really attract, or do birds of a feather flock together?

When it comes to relationships, finding the ideal partner could be easy for some and difficult for others because it’s heavily dependent on the characteristics we value most in a mate. The answer to whether opposites attract, or like attracts like, has been an ongoing debate that has both passed and failed the test of time. People are often interested in whether couple similarity, or complementarity, is indicative of relationship outcomes — satisfaction and quality, for instance. It puts into question if birds of a feather who flock together are better off than partners comparable to oil and vinegar.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT VS. LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE
“Likes” may attract better than “opposites” when it comes to settling down and finding a mate, since people subconsciously seek out mates who have similar traits as themselves. Although there are successful pairings of opposites, such as TV couples Ted and Robin from How I Met Your Mother , or Jay and Gloria from Modern Family , it is not unusual for couples to have a tall and short, or loud and soft-spoken dyad, but this starts with a match. Initially, we like those who like us in return, says Psychology Today , which suggests we prefer consistency in our desires, thoughts, and attitudes. We are drawn to those who are similar to us because it affirms our own characteristics are normal, or desirable.
Stacy Lynn Harp , a clinically trained marriage and family therapist in Tennessee, believes most of us attract people we have things in common with. “Likeness attracts likeness. It's actually a myth that opposites attract,” Harp told Medical Daily in an email. “Those who are seeking people who are similar understand that long term compatibility is more likely with someone who is like themselves.”
A 2008 study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology found individuals desired a partner who resembled them in terms of personality, and also desired a complementary partner instead of a similar one when it came to general preferences. People may be attracted to those who have similar attitudes, values, and beliefs, and may even marry them based on this similarity since attitudes are highly visible and fundamental to the way people live their lives. Personality-related characteristics, however, take much longer to unfold and may not play a substantial role until later in the relationship.