On paper, my significant other and I from completely different backgrounds. That has presented some unique challenges, but I think it makes our relationship strong because we try hard to maintain good communication.

At the same time, our personalities are actually quite similar. That can be good since we share similar values, but we can have friction sometimes since we both like to be in command.

So how about you? What do you have in common with your SO and what sets you apart?

Hmmm I'd say our stubbornness and being perfectionists bring us together. I never realized how much of a perfectionist I was until after I got married.

Things that set us apart... i'm more patient than he is, he'll get upset easily while usually i'll think about things before I get upset.

I think my boyf and I are similar in the important ways, and different in the right ways. We're similar in the places crucial for a good relationship to exist, and different in the ways that allow us to see things differently through each other. We're not twins, I can't predict what he'll think about most things, but at the same time we see eye-to-eye, mostly. Our similarities and differences are made up of a million little, situational things not worth mentioning, but I'll see if I can list some of the bigger ones.

We're both not religious, but while I identify as atheist, his views are more complicated and, to be honest, when he explained it to me I didn't understand at all. Something about god existing because he exists to so many people and thus influences their lives. But when I suggested "so you mean he exists as a concept?" he said no, so I don't follow his logic entirely.

Our outlook is pretty different. I try to get as much happiness out of everything that I can and embrace whatever I enjoy, while he has a bit of a grumpier outlook. He jokes that he hates most things, and has said stuff along the lines that he doesn't feel he can enjoy something unless he's really dedicated to it (can't enjoy art unless he's intensely familiar with the artist, etc.). But despite that, I feel like he's overall a happier person than me, while I'm more moody.

We're both introverts and need that "recharge" period after social interaction, but I'm incredibly shy, bordering on social anxiety, while he's very outgoing and likes to go out and do stuff. He's not afraid of embarrassing himself at all and will be goofy with total strangers (with my staring at him like "HOW HAVE YOU NOT SUNKEN INTO THE FLOOR AND DIED?" ). Though despite being goofy, he doesn't really laugh much, while I'll laugh at anything (even if I don't think it's funny. Even if it's not a joke. Though the latter is nervous laughter). I'm more expressive of my emotions in general, while sometimes he's hard to read.

I think we're pretty similar idealogically, we just look at things a little differently. What's most important is that if one of us shares a thought, the other one listens carefully and is open to the new viewpoint. We both like to learn how the other thinks.

I have no idea if it'll be good for the long haul, but I definitely feel like being with him now is a good experience and I'm learning from it. He's a super cool dude.

WOW I wrote a lot... sorry about that. Jeez, cherry, shut it.

We have our similarities and our differences. We're both huge nerds and that's what initially brought us together actually . Never underestimate the people you can meet at DnD games, just saying. We get each others humor and that's a big thing, if we couldn't make each other laugh we'd explode. (or really I would). He's from a much more religious background than my not-religious background, but excepts my ridiculous ideas of religion with out too much judging, we'd both sit and say more agnostic than anything though. And politically we both agree everyone else is wrong and has dumb ideas.

Biggest thing is he's just so laid back and lets just about everything wash over him. Like most guys, doesn't like expressing too much through emotion. But he's always laughing and smiling.

Where as I can get pretty wound up pretty fast. I can have an explosive temper, or start sobbing, depends on the day. I let things build up until breaking point.

From the outsider's eye, we look like complete opposites. We're like Ying and Yang. On one hand, he has way better social skills that I have - he has a dominant personality and very straight forward. I am more awkward and shy in social situations.
I am way more patient than he is, he has almost no patience whatsoever.

On the other hand, no matter how good my BF is socially, and is capable to handle very well social situations - for example; leading conversations, making people laugh, ect - he still is an introvert more than a extrovert and is actually a home person and prefers my company over anything else, just like I do.

We both have a very similar humor and the same tastes in almost everything - even in food. We both have similar hobbies, and although he doesn't show sensitivity to other people, he is very sensitive with me and expresses lots of love towards me (: we both are very stubborn so sometimes we quarrel but in the end -we complete each other. He has personality traits that I lack and I have personality traits that he lacks so it's good that we have our own differences. I wouldn't want him to be similar like me completely - or the other way around.

I'm actually very different from my significant other. But the thing is we both understand each other so much that we actually don't mind the different qualities about each other. Like, he likes all kinds of food, I don't. He likes certain genres of music and movies. I like all. And so on.

My husband & I are probably more similar to one another than any other relationship I have been in. While we don't like everything the same, I'll watch a football game with him and he'll watch a chick flick with me.
He accepts and loves me despite my faults, as I do him for his.

I always joke about my husband being a male version of myself and how it's narcissistic of us to be so attracted to one another. XD We have a lot in common, same sense of humor, same taste in music, life styles, same views on life, things like that. It's actually kind of weird how much we think alike but I think that comes from us pretty much growing up together. We've known each other for 14 years so our habits kind of rubbed off on each other.

I think it's a good thing because we have the same common interests and enjoy the same types of activities. I'm a bit more active than he is, but when he was younger he used to be pretty active so I'm trying to get him back into being active, which he does enjoy.

If an outsider looks at both Shaun, my fiance, and me that person would think that Shaun and I just couldn't work as a couple. We are completely different and in some ways the differences seem to be uncompromising. I don't hate his music, but his music gives me a headache after only about 10 minutes. He hates my music because its pop/girly/slow. He loves to be outside, go camping/hiking. And I hate dirt and bugs and would never spend time outside if I didn't have to. He hates my favorite food and I hate his favorite food. He's an avid gamer, and I'm now in a place where games were something "I used to do." With all of those differences and soo many more, it seems like we just plain wouldn't work, but we do and its because we have the same exact morals and values. We've also developed compromises for all of those things that seem uncompromisable.

Morals and values, those are things that, I think, are the real factors in whether or not a couple works alongside communication of course. I couldn't be with someone that does drugs of any kind excluding only caffeine and medications when sick. Or someone who doesn't want a family, or someone who lies or cheats. When I look at my partner, I see a good person. Someone who is honest to a fault, who wants a family and would be an excellent father, who challenges me by forcing me into new experiences and pushes me out of my comfort zone just enough but not too much. It works somehow. Seems like magic almost. Previous SO's I've had just plain didn't work even though we had so many of the same likes/dislikes. Looking back on those relationships, there was always something big there that would have never worked and it was always something in the morals/values category.

@TheEmpressofEvil: I agree with you! Sharing core morals and values is a lot more important than sharing similar tastes in movies, music, food, and the like. It can be hard coming up with fun things to do that you'll both enjoy, but those sorts of differences are relatively easy to overcome.

I'm very thankful that my boyfriend and I are so similar in that area. We've yet to have a conversation about moral values and realize we're coming from completely different places. Usually we're both on the same page from the start.

Myself an Oz are very contrasting people in some ways. We have very different likes and dislikes about things, and although we were brought up in very similar fashions, there are key things that i disagree with, and he disagrees with about how i was brought up, which for some reason i can't quite place has a lot to do with life...Mostly because of how he thinks i should deal with my anxiety and depression, and how i think it should be, things like that...That's caused some friction in the past.

I think the thing that keeps us viable is the fact we're so opposite we complement most of the time. We can give each other very rounded views about why we like X or Y or why we think what we do of X or Y. However neither of us really steps down from a debate when defending our viewpoints so learning to deal with that kind of confrontation and environment where compromise isn't really an option might prove difficult as we get older and move forward as a couple.

Personality wise, and in terms of moral opinion we're really similar, which certainly helps bring us together. We've got a lot of similar views on topics, issues, and types of people, so even though we might go round in circles sometimes, when we really need to back each other up we can quite effectively.

Hmmm, we are and we aren't. When I met my boyfriend, we got really close really fast with our interest in planes and the Air Force, the fact we were both hard working and trying to make a living, and the fact we have very similar religious backgrounds that we're both proud of.

We're both gamers (though I've pulled away to focus on other art projects) and we both like to be silly from time to time. After meeting him I was finally able to be the weird me again, instead of putting up this facade of 'normalcy'.

At the same time, our interests also differ greatly. He's a tech guy and has gotten this interest in the stock market. I have more of an interest in art as well as anime and manga. From time to time that causes little bumps because neither of us really hold that much of an interest in the other's hobbies, though we do try to get involved in them which is nice.

Man my husband and i are like night and day sometimes. But other times we are the same.. I suppose 14 yrs of living with each other though has taken its toll mentally.. we kinda compliment each other.. Though i must say i started out as a 130 ibs hotty that was used to having male friends and lots of attention. Now... i am 330 not so hotty mom of 4 with pretty dire health issues. =\ I know i am pretty for the most part but i can see the way that people look at him like WOW.. wait what the hell is THAT... >.> i always ask him if he is ashamed of me and he says no.. But i am really self conscious about it. I used to be those judgmental asshat females who would give dirty loooks If only i could go back in time and punch my idiotic judgmental self in the face!

Anyway aside from that.. I never liked video games i was not a "gamer" until i played Zelda, then it was D2... Then it was Wow... lol Then it was forum games. I think that also contributed to my health issues. I went from avid runner, swimmer, vollyball player. To couch potato only left my house maybe 2-3 times a month. Of course my husband lifted weights and worked out and played pool and did all kinds of stuff all the time. (still does) but i didnt.. So then turned into a country song and "let myself go"

We dont agree on how to parent kids.. he is a hard@$$ that is punishment over compassion and understanding. And with two special needs kids that doesnt go over well so we have had some pretty serious fights. My mom used to always say the only thing couples fight about is Kids and money. And thats the dang truth! Its the ONLY thing we fight about.

My husband had a drug problem when he was younger and i have NEVER done drugs nothing, i have a blackberry wine cooler on my birthday and i have never smoked anything. So that kinda put a strain on us when he was smoking pot constantly and stealing the food out of our house to give to his dealer like 10 years ago. Things got so bad i had to leave for a few months to force him to get his life straight. Lots of people say you cant be addicted to marijuana.. but thats a total lie. It nearly broke up a family. So we are very different there

When i was younger i ran away with my boyfriend who i had known my whole life. Totally against the wishes of my mother. I lived under bridges and ate of trashcans and hitchiked with truckers ect... My husband had never left the comfort of his mothers home! He had never been homless, never been hungry, never had anything like that happen to him. He did however move out of his moms with me once because she said i couldnt live there anymore because i didnt get along with her only daugther. I was gonna beat the crap out of her once and she freaked out. (she is 5 yrs older than me) My mother in law has always allowed her kids to live with her... So it really sucked because they never had to be responsible adults. When i came along that changed i made my BF (husband) man up and move out. We hitchiked with truckers and lived "off the land" for all of a week... Yea.. And then we went back to his moms house. Though she did try rather valiantly to send him money wentern union $150 if he would take a greyhound home and leave me in Houston tx...

lol man i could go on all day long.. but its 2am.. i need sleep.