Opposites can attract, as in magnetism. Or explode, as in matter and antimatter. – Peter David
Opposites attract because they are not really opposites, but complementaries. – Sydney J. Harris
As an extrovert, I’m usually attracted to introverts. Maybe it’s because I find their shyness a challenge. I want to “deshy” them if you will. Or maybe it’s because I think they’re a mystery that needs to be solved. Or maybe it’s really because there’s no room for two loudmouths in a relationship.
Here’s a mostly harmless question for you: Do opposites really attract? I’ve always thought by being with someone who was the opposite of me: quiet, sporty, tall, and more patient with 4 year olds; these traits would rub off on me and I’d become a better person…or at the very least “tallerish”.
However, relationship after relationship, I still find myself to be loud, inactive, short, and incapable of making eye contact with 4 year olds…they’re scary little people. This is why I’ve been thinking that maybe I should stop looking for my opposite and start being interested in women who are more like me.
How wonderful would it be to have a lover who would want to discuss various topics such as:
- The parallels of the Bajoran-Cardassian war with the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
- The best bring your own wine restaurants in Montreal.
- How to be more environmentally friendly without actually bringing any worms into our respective homes.
Of course I recognize that our relationship wouldn’t be perfect. There would be a few disadvantages:
- We wouldn’t always be talking about mind riveting topics like the above. There would be times where we’d argue. However, we would both be secure in the knowledge that during our fight, neither of us would want to hurt one another but resolve the matter in a healthy and productive way. Unless we were arguing while we were hungry or tired…or worse, both…then one of us might end up being called a POOPY HEAD.
- Then there’s the matter of not having any sense of direction. We would get lost EVERYWHERE but a GPS could solve our directionally challenged problems.
- I also have to be brutally honest and say we might stop being invited to any parties because we’d sometimes forget to use our inside voices. Don’t get me wrong, we’d be one of the funniest couples in the room…but we might also be the most obnoxious. Fortunately, we’d both be aware of this and attempt to reign in our natural extroverted tendencies in order to give the quieter more introverted couples a chance to express themselves. Granted, we might not always succeed, but we’d certainly try.
- When a four year old entered the room, we would simply run away.
I realize that we don’t have any control with whom we fall in love…but that doesn’t mean I can’t try and help the process by having more of an open mind. So I’m just going to go ahead and clone myself. And no, that doesn’t make me a narcissist; it makes me a pragmatist…with an EGO.
Two Genevieves? Now that would be hot…
Maybe we should go on a date once I’ve learned to calm my impulsive mind.
ok…so that’s one person that supports cloning me and another one who wants me to be so open-minded that I practically rob the cradle.:)
No worries, calming my impulsive mind should take a few years..
G, I often hear you say introverts are shy and you just said it again. So I will say this once and for all: introversion is not the same as shyness. Introverts often choose solitary over social activities but they do so by preference, whereas shy people avoid social encounters out of fear (yes, this was from the great Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introvert#Introversion). So trying to “deshy” introverts might not be the best approach. A tip if you keep being attracted to introverts: they can be quite social but in small groups of people.
P.S. I think it’s extrAvert, no?
P.P.S. I love you but please don’t clone yourself
Well, my wife says no clones… something about you being too special and precious that there could never be another you… Whatev’ I say all the more reason to clone you! Double the pleasure, double the fun.
Two words: Clone Army!
‘Attic’ of the Clones
So the threat of having more of me around is what gets people to comment more on this website…hmmmmmmmmm
Quick Igor! To the laboratory! Muhahahahaha!