The notion of having a soulmate is pretty old, dating back to ancient Greece. While the idea of soulmates may have started out as myth, science and math can actually back up the idea that “the one” is out there, though it’s not always as straightforward as we’d like to believe. Mathematically speaking, it takes an algorithm to figure out if you’ll meet your soulmate, and even once you’ve met them, it doesn’t equate to automatic happily ever after. Once in a romantic relationship, you have to work hard to maintain it.
Statistical Odds of Finding Your Soulmate
Randall Munroe tackled the question of the existence of soulmates. According to Munroe, your soulmate is likely about the same age as you and is your contemporary. Each person has half a billion potential matches or so. Basically, we’d have to spend twenty years (24/7) using a nonexistent database that allows us to make eye contact with tons of potential matches to find our soulmate.
Of course, this is based on the theory that our soulmates are decided at random from birth. Perhaps the universe is kinder than that. After all, lightning strikes twice sometimes, even though it’s mathematically improbable. Munroe concludes rather optimistically that a world where people rarely meet their soulmates would be quite lonely, “Let’s hope that’s not what we live in.”
Working Towards Happily Ever After
The ideal soulmate is honestly too perfect to be realistic, or so psychologists say. You might meet someone who makes your heart beat like nobody else, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be absolute perfection. Relationships, even when you’ve found someone truly special, require work and reasonable expectations. It makes sense when you think about it, though. You are someone’s soulmate. Are you totally without flaws? I know I’m not!
So, how do you make a relationship work? Well, it’s helpful to make an effort to understand the viewpoints of your partner (even if you disagree), respect their opinions, and listen responsively. It’s also great to really get to know someone before moving in together. This way you can understand how they react when under stress and during major conflicts. Work to communicate and express your fears. Strong bonds don’t develop overnight. It takes time, work, and patience, but when you’ve found the one for you, they are worth all the effort.
Your soulmate is out there, and perhaps you’ve even met them already. If you haven’t yet met them, you’ve got time. The thing is, it takes more than just a spark to ensure that a relationship lasts. When you do meet someone special, try not to expect that everything’ll be easy-peasy. Every relationship requires work for it to last. When you’ve met the one, it’s worth the work.
