Love SomeOne "Different" Than You? Is It Worth It?
By Wendy Kay. Posted on .
Have you ever wondered if it would be worth it to be involved in an intercultural relationship? Has it ever fleeted through your mind and, without much consideration, you quickly dismissed with a “no,” not really giving much thought as to why? Have you been involved in an intercultural relationship, and concluded when it ended, that it was because of the cultural differences and doomed from the start? It could have even been the excuse you or your partner used to end it. Maybe you’re contemplating that excuse right now.
If you’ve never considered a relationship outside of your own subculture, that’s OK too, but don’t let it be because of some illusion that we’re here on earth to create and sustain separateness. Being open to other cultures and subcultures, makes the world a bigger and better place to live in – for you.
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Relationships are difficult at times anyway. Think about it; you have two minds coming together to share a segment of life together. Two people think differently. Different genders will process thought, and communicate, differently. Those different minds are probably what attracted you to each other in the first place. Let’s face it, sameness can be boring; no real growth or expansion required.
When people first get together, they go through that “getting to know each other” stage and putting their “best foot forward.” For some, they’ll progress to the “in-love” stage. Through the stages, you’re learning about each other, your differences and your similarities; it’s exciting!
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At some point all the newness wares off and those same things that you used to think were cute and different, can turn into annoyances. Those end up being the things you and your partner have to work on in your relationship to accept about the other, or work out in compromise. Don’t waste time trying to change your partner though; that will just make YOU crazy. (Change only happens when a person decides to change for him/her self, not for someone else.)
OK, so you already have all that “usual” stuff going on. Now add in some cultural differences attributed to such things as age, race, religion/spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic background or influences. These differences will undoubtedly require extra attention at times just to be able to communicate effectively, because each will have gained different “filters” and perspectives through the experiences of their own subculture(s). The ability to communicate is a key element in the success of a relationship. 4 Steps To Help Couples Speak Their Very Own Language [EXPERT]
