Have you ever mistaken a couple as siblings because of how they resemble one another? Or do other people say that you look like your partner even if you do not see it in any way possible? It's strange, right? How could you look like someone with whom you do not share parents nor ancestors? Well, believe it or not, no matter how odd it seems, science says that it is natural that couples look alike after years of being together.
In an article in the Times Magazine citing the author and social psychologist Justin Lehmiller, it was asserted that although the opposite attracts, “people naturally gravitate toward people who are familiar, even though the whole process is likely subconscious.” This means that unknowingly, we usually get attracted to people who have the same facial features, attitude, or behavior as us. As a result, we end up settling with a person who seems to be our twin or mirror image.
Sometimes, we also tend to be drawn to people who resemble someone familiar to us like our mother or father or someone who shared the same culture, environment, and social norms with us because it is comforting. That is why, if you and your partner are compared to one another, an obvious similarity is easily being noticed by others.
But how come those couples who are completely opposite before marriage still tend to look alike after years of living together?
According to scientists, couples begin to look alike because they "occupy the same environments, engage in the same activities, eat the same food, and mimic each other’s emotional expressions.” Since they live together, they tend to share the same experiences even if it is a happy or sad one. When one is in joy, the other one will be filled with happiness too. When one is grieving, the other one will be in tears as well.
In addition, couples who have been together for so long also mimic one another’s attitude and responses. For example, if your husband or wife is a person of humor and laughs a lot, chances are you will develop the same laugh lines around your mouth the same as hers/his. But, if you have a grumpy partner who wears a crabby face all the time, both of you will probably have matching wrinkles. Hence, in a study by the University of Michigan it was stated that “decades of shared emotions result in a closer resemblance due to similar wrinkles and expressions.”
On the other side, there are studies that suggest that only happy couples tend to mirror one another more because they breed the same love, joy, commitment, patience, and more. Now, look at your wife or your husband. Do you look the same? If yes, no big deal. But if not, maybe you should start thinking of something you can change in your relationship. *lol*
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