Differences are so much more interesting

Shared form ;

Differences can be just as rewarding

Sights and Sound

By Xandria Ooi.

Star Metro 10 December 2014,

As human beings, it is natural for us to gravitate towards people who are most similar, to us.  When we start making friends, we naturally are drawn to people with whom we have most in common.  We subconsciously or consciously seek out people who have similar desires and ambition.

 

Knowing the fact that we’ve got best friends who are similar gives us a certain measures of comfort and security knowing that there are people out there who are just like us.  The small “me too” moments seem serendipitous.  It connects people with the ability to turn absolute stranger into instant soul mates.

According to studies by Ellen Berscheid and Elaine H. Walster in the book Interpersonal. Attraction, people are generally most attracted to people who share similar attitudes.  Some of the reason cited:

i.              They provide corroboration that we are not alone in our beliefs or that we might even be correct to hold the attitude in question.

ii.             Instant bond existed when we realise that we would have done the exact same thing.

iii.            Instant validation for our sense of self.

iv.           Constantly influence each other.

v.            Able to help people predict the other’s future behaviours.

It is important to remember that people are in fact, extremely different, even when we do have many things in common.  Prediction can be coloured and influenced by a million reasons.  It is undeniable that similarities can be more comfortable, but differences are so much more interesting.  The most rewarding thing about focusing on differences is that it makes us love with much less judgement.