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Soul Mates

Are soul mates/true love a thing?

  • Yes

    Votes: 17 30.9%

  • No

    Votes: 30 54.5%

  • Some other thing

    Votes: 8 14.5%
  • Total voters
    55
Yep. There are indeed individuals who are ideally suited for one another. I don't believe there's only one compatible mate for any given person, and I'm sure there are people who can't be happy with any one mate, but there are plenty of people who have the capacity to find perfect mates in specific individuals. That's close enough to "soul mate" for me.
 
I guess according to the definitions you gave, they are "a thing".

noun
1.
a person with whom one has a strong affinity, shared values and tastes, and often a romantic bond:
I married my soul mate; you don't get much luckier than that.
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noun
1.
a sweetheart; a truly loving or loved person.
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But I don't really believe in destiny or that each person has one true "soul mate" or "true love" somewhere out there in the world waiting to be found.
 
Puppycow said:
But I don't really believe in destiny or that each person has one true "soul mate" or "true love" somewhere out there in the world waiting to be found.
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I would agree with the proviso that I think it's perhaps true for some people but not for everyone. I'm quite certain it is not true for me. (Indeed, being alone seems all but a certainty, but I've made my peace with that.)
 
Corsair 115 said:
I would agree with the proviso that I think it's perhaps true for some people but not for everyone. I'm quite certain it is not true for me. (Indeed, being alone seems all but a certainty, but I've made my peace with that.)
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:hug2

There's probably someone out there who would be compatible, if your standards aren't unrealistically high. Are you putting yourself out there via reaching out somehow, either via some kind of dating site or app, or in the real world, or have you given up trying? If you don't try it would be all but a certainty.
 
From the definition of soul make I know which is "unique" :
No there is not such a thing as soul mate. There is usually a huge numbers of SO which would be good or you, after all we have 7 billion + people on earth.

But otherwise for the definition without unique : "a person with whom one has a strong affinity, shared values and tastes, and often a romantic bond" what is the difference with simply being in love ? That definition is as generic as heck.

I vote no on principle that soul mate as defined by the op is generic and meanignless
 
Aepervius said:
From the definition of soul make I know which is "unique" :No there is not such a thing as soul mate. There is usually a huge numbers of SO which would be good or you, after all we have 7 billion + people on earth.

But otherwise for the definition without unique : "a person with whom one has a strong affinity, shared values and tastes, and often a romantic bond" what is the difference with simply being in love ? That definition is as generic as heck.

I vote no on principle that soul mate as defined by the op is generic and meanignless
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Hilighted: That's not the definition given in the OP.

I'm surprised at the number of cynics who say there's no such thing.... as either. Again, I'm going by the definitions in the OP and no where does either definition say, "forever" or "unique in the whole universe". It's obviously a very subjective call but I voted with the minority. I know too many people who suit the definitions given.
 
Well, love is a real thing, a chemical thing, but that initial up to 18 month love/infatuation needs to be replaced with the love that is more about caring for the person, if that doesn't happen, which I'm guessing happens more often than not then you're not soul mates if it is replaced by a deep caring/love then I guess you could say you were soul mates.
 
Yes, but not for the majority of the world's population, nor indeed most western industrialised nations. It's also the case that most people actually have many potential soul mates, but never meet them, or not recognise them if they do.
 
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In my case I met several women over the years I thought should be my soul mates but were involved with other people. In a couple cases I'm confident that we would still be happy had we gotten together but never did.

I married a woman willing to endure my eccentricities. In return I put up with the fact she's a total slob.
 
Soul mates? True love? Absolutely.

But, the idea that there is or can be only one? Ridiculous. I've had a few so far.
 
I have an unrequited love. So does my wife.

Anyway, I don't know the answer to your question. From a purely biological standpoint, I'd say no. However, there's a bit of poet left in me (from lunch) that hopes the answer is otherwise.

From an evolutionary perspective, love is a trick the mind plays to keep the body from taking of for Vegas.
 
madurobob said:
Soul mates? True love? Absolutely.

But, the idea that there is or can be only one? Ridiculous. I've had a few so far.
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Really? Requited? I mean, you're cool but, dang that's impressive.

Loss Leader said:
I have an unrequited love. So does my wife.

Anyway, I don't know the answer to your question. From a purely biological standpoint, I'd say no. However, there's a bit of poet left in me (from lunch) that hopes the answer is otherwise.

From an evolutionary perspective, love is a trick the mind plays to keep the body from taking of for Vegas.
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Okay so, I had about thismuch romantic in me (don't judge) and I think you just pissed in her cheerios. :(
 
If we posit some sort of widespread psychological variation and then analyze random pairs of individuals, it would be inevitable that we find certain individuals that think in patterns more closely similar to each other; if we posit some sort of random relationship variation then it would be inevitable that we find some relationships perceived as being more "close" than other pairings. There may even be, due to random variation, some single other individual who randomly complements a person better than any other in existence at the time. (Your chance of meeting them, speaking the same language, and/or developing any sort of relationship would be essentially nonexistent). As an atheist I neither perceive nor accept any "purpose" to the similarities beyond evolutionary drives and general population trends; nor any sort of cosmic fate or destiny behind them.
 
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Foolmewunz said:
I'm surprised at the number of cynics who say there's no such thing....
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I'm not.

Most people don't get lucky. Couples I know who are in long-term relationships are not generally going to conform to the true love scenario.

More like "Convenient, safe and financially smarter" to keep it going.

RogueKitten said:
So far the results are leaning towards no.
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Pity, but maybe they didn't look hard enough?

I found cutting loose of dud relationships early to be a useful tool.

Shadowdweller said:
As an atheist I neither perceive nor accept any "purpose" to the similarities beyond evolutionary drives and general population trends; nor any sort of cosmic fate or destiny behind them.
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I'd go along with that, which is why it's important to cast the net far, wide & often. If you're fishing for a soul-mate, which I think most people do, it's silly to take the first one and think it will be THE one.

Always throw the first one back - just like the more important kind of fishing.
 
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