Dating can be pretty disappointing, especially when you come armed with expectations of the perfect guy only to feel a little let down when your Tinder date doesn't agree that Stranger Things was the best Netflix show ever made.
However, Grant Langston, CEO of eHarmony, who has analysed hundreds of thousands data streams from the behemoth dating website’s user database, has come up with the four key things you need to agree on for a successful courtship.
While liking the same pizza toppings and holding the same political beliefs are nice, they are simply a bonus compared to these four key concepts:
1. Conflict resolution skills
Are you a fan of conflict?
Or would you rather forgive and forget?
“Conflict resolution skills are baked into your brain when you’re a kid. If you’re really opposite in that, you can’t have a relationship,” according to Grant.
2. Extrovert vs Introvert.
Opposites attract, but Grant reminds wannabe daters that if an extreme extrovert falls for an extreme introvert, compromises will have to be made for the sake of a stable relationship.
“An introvert can be with an extrovert, but it would require compromise throughout life,” he told Elite Daily.
3. Your outlook on life
Having a stormy rather than sunny outlook on life is fine, so long as your partner sees the world through a similarly pessimistic lens.
However, an ever-the-optimist kind of person may feel drained from sharing a lifestyle with a negative Nancy.
4. Sociability
Another quality which could become a challenge in a potential relationship is the level of sociability.
If you love painting the town red every weekend but your partner is more of a Netflix and chill kind of guy or girl, then this could cause some conflict.
At the end of the day, it is these social skills and differences that can keep a relationship our of choppy waters.
“Superficial things don’t really matter that much."
"If you like the same kind of music or food or to travel to the same places, that is fodder for good date, but it doesn’t predict any kind of relationship success,” said Grant."
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