Relationships are made up of happy events and daily challenges. Indeed, the life of a couple is illustrated by the association of two personalities, the sharing of intimacy and the desire to form a stable union. Living in pairs is cultivated every day but ultimately, love is one of the most beautiful feelings because it brings together two people on the basis of trust and respect for each other.
Moreover, over time and when the relationship becomes sustainable, we find that both partners are more and more alike. But then, simple coincidence or scientific phenomenon? It seems that science explains why the partners in a long relationship start to look alike. Moreover, here are 3 scientific reasons that explain this incredible phenomenon!
Birds of a feather flock together
At the meeting, many people are attracted to individuals who resemble them in a certain way, that is, by physical or social attributes. It is about the assortative mating and according to a study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, this phenomenon is not really a coincidence. Indeed, this model of mating and form of sexual selection is already found in nature. For example, Eastern Bluebirds in bright colors choose bright colored partners because they recognize each other and will tend to understand each other more.
In addition, other studies explain that the similarity is illustrated by the size, the personality, the intelligence, the level of education, the anxiety and the depression, the cholesterol level and also the DNA.
Indeed, according to a study from the University of Colorado, people are attracted to life partners with similar DNA. Researchers explain this by the fact that we unwittingly wish to perpetuate our own genes. Note that the only parameter that does not take into account is the weight because it evolves over time.
Facial changes
Beyond choosing oneself from the beginning for its resemblance, the more the partners live together, the more they are alike. Indeed, Robert B.Zajonc, from the University of Michigan, has demonstrated this by comparing photos of men and women taken before and after 25 years of life together. He presented these photos to a panel of 110 volunteers, asking them to associate people in couples.
The first pile contained the photos taken during the first year of marriage and the second, those taken after 25 years of life together. As much as the volunteers had difficulty assembling people in pairs in the first pile, it became easy for the second one. The couples, who initially had no facial resemblance, ended up sharing similar expression lines. In addition, Robert B.Zajonc added that more than duration, it is the same shared emotions that explain this phenomenon.
Happiness, couple and mimicry
Robert B. Zajonc also raised the fact that in a couple, this resemblance over time between the partners is explained by mimicry. It seems that we share unconsciously the same facial expressions to share the same emotions because this instinct of imitation is the guarantee of a better communication between the beings.
Indeed, as the psychoanalyst Nathalie Haggiag points out, imitation is primarily a cognitive skill that allows us to build ourselves individually but also in society.
Thus, behavioral mimicry is essential in relationships because it allows the other to feel confident. However, there are limits to this mimicry, which can hinder happiness within the couple or any type of relationship. Since one can not become incarnate oneself, and to the extent that one becomes aware of this, the relationship can become painful and bring out a disturbance of the identity.
Therefore, do not be surprised if you are told that you look like your partner, it's perfectly normal!