Most people love the idea of marrying the one they love who is also their best friend. They want to share the same interests, goals, hobbies, thoughts, and beliefs. However, is this really the best way to start a relationship? You might have heard that opposites attract and common interests in a relationship can make a strong foundation of strong love. So, which is right?

Is there a reason that opposites attract? And how important is it to have a common interest in a relationship? That’s what we’ll be talking about in this article.

5 Reasons Why Having a Common Interest Can Help You in a Relationship

Having a lot in common is an excellent starting point for building a solid relationship with your partner. Here are the reasons why having the same hobbies and interests benefits your marriage. 

They Teach You About Each Other

Shared interests can reveal a lot of things about your spouse. 

If you like outdoor activities, and your spouse shares your interest, you’ll instantly know they’re just as into the great outdoors as you are. If you and your partner both play music and love to write songs, you’ll know your partner loves to think and is creative.

Even if you haven’t been together for a long time, you’ll have a natural connection with your partner by having common interests. 

Common Interests Make Your Relationship More Enjoyable

Whenever you say, “We have a lot in common,” you’re actually saying a lot more about your relationship than you think.

A journal from Happiness Studies reports that couples are happier when they are also best friends. They show that marital satisfaction doubles for couples who call each other best friends. Shared interests are a great start to a fun and exciting partnership between two people. 

It Builds Teamwork

When meeting people with similar interests, you’ll instantly create a sense of teamwork. For example, you can create an excellent story if you love to write. If you both love to climb and hike, you can set goals for the mountains you want to conquer one day. If you both love to play games, you can simply do it every evening to get your mind off things. 

Spending much time together doing the things you love can help create a sense of togetherness and helps you create shared goals. 

It Creates a Support System

When sharing interests as a couple, you also give each other life support. 

Having many things in common helps encourage partners to build trust and improve communication. As you reach out to support hobbies, you’ll realize you can rely on each other in many parts of your lives.

You Won’t Fight Over Each Other’s Beliefs

Having something in common in a relationship means that you and your partner won’t be fighting over hot beliefs like politics and religion. 

This is because couples who share religions are more likely to see their relationship as something special. Research shows that spouses treat each other better when they attend religious services together. 

Even if you aren’t the religious type, you can grow closer together when sharing common interests on important topics. 

Differences are Also Important 

It’s important to have common interests, but it doesn’t mean that having differences is bad! No couple will be exactly alike, and it’s completely fine. Instead of dismissing your differences, embrace them! They may actually balance yourselves out. If one is introverted, the other who is extroverted can help bring them out of their shell. If you’re more of a planner, perhaps your partner can help you enjoy the moment. 

Unless you and your partner are complete opposites that you can’t get along, the best thing to do is learn to appreciate your differences. No matter how you differ from your partner, the important thing is to have a shared vision of your future together. As long as you have the right needs, expectations, and commitment, it’s possible to make it work! When you want to compromise something, make sure to have an open mind and be interested in each other’s hobbies. This will let you build a strong and healthy relationship regardless of your differences. 

Shared Interests aren’t Only About Doing Things Together 

Healthy and vibrant relationships happen when two people help each other to become their best versions. This means letting your partner be their true self and enjoy and participate in what brings them joy in life. 

Don’t worry if you have nothing in common, as having certain interests or goals with your spouse is enough. Couples who share core values and beliefs will likely maintain a long and healthy relationship. Indeed, there will be areas of life where your interests will differ. For example, if your wife loves to read books, ask her what genre she loves most; you can browse the best author for that genre and buy one of its newest books as a gift. She will love it, but you don’t need to read it with her. This should be applied to your interests. She can support you but doesn’t need to do them with you. 

Final Thoughts

Having shared interests is an excellent way to a long-lasting and healthy marriage. You will embrace a vibrant and fun relationship when you have much in common with your spouse. Having the same hobbies as a couple also creates a support system and a sense of teamwork in your relationship. 

However, don’t worry if you don’t have common interests in a relationship. By having your own opinions and hobbies, you may find each other’s differences and even find new things in common once you’re married. Just remember to be open-minded and remember that not having the same hobbies doesn’t mean the end of your relationship.