What is a soulmate? Meaning, origin and how to recognise one
A soulmate is someone you feel a deep, effortless connection with. It is usually about a partner, but it can be a friend too. Someone who feels related to who you are on the inside.
Where does the idea come from?
The best known story comes from ancient Greece. In Plato's Symposium, one of the speakers tells how humans were once double beings with four arms, four legs and two faces. The gods split them in two, and ever since, everyone has been looking for their other half. That is where "your better half" comes from.
What do people mean by it today?
Today the word is used more loosely. For some, a soulmate is the one person meant for you. For others, it is someone you can be fully yourself with, and who you get to know better over the years.
Relationship researchers make a similar distinction. Some people mainly believe in an instant click that is either there or not. Others see a good relationship as something that grows. Most people recognise a bit of both.
How do you recognise someone who really fits you?
- You feel calm rather than tense.
- Silences are not awkward.
- You can argue and make up again.
- You do not have to make yourself bigger or smaller.
- You want roughly the same things from the future.
And the stars?
Astrology looks at how two birth charts connect. It is not science, but it is a fun language to talk about love. See which signs traditionally match in Which zodiac sign matches me?
Curious about the difference with a twin flame? Read Twin flame or soulmate.
Curious what your soulmate looks like?
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