Attraction Guided by Our Genes

     We have all heard the common saying "opposites attract," whether it be in elementary school science class or our parents talking to us about relationships.  This theory seems logical; why would you want to be around someone just like you? We are all led to believe that this deems true, but it turns out, it is not. The idea that we attract people who are actually similar to us is known as assortative mating. This includes mating based on age, race, facial characteristics, and body type which all have to do with our genes. Couples tend to seek partners with similar DNA, and this is proven more common than seeking a partner based on socioeconomic status or education level, which was believed prior to this. Researchers studied single nucleotide polymorphisms which is where humans differ in DNA. It was found that married couples were more genetically similar than those chosen at random.

     I find this article very interesting because it is now making me rethink my prior relationships and ones that may friends have been in and are currently in. I have always thought that the saying "opposites attract" rang true, but now that I think about it, my friends and their significant others are very similar. They may differ in certain interests, but when it comes down to it on a more personal level, they are very similar. It's amazing what we can discover with science, and the ideas that researchers come up with are definitely incredible.

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