The Soulmate Theory

Hopeless romantics are ready to accept this warm and fuzzy concept, believing that their ideal partner is out there somewhere, just waiting for them. Do soulmates really exist? Perhaps they do, perhaps they do not. And that's all Tinsletown needs to keep selling feel-good stories like Serendipity and Only You to the popcorn-eating masses.

The legend of the Egyptian Gods Osiris and Isis dates back 5,000 years. They're definitely soulmates. Myth takes it deeper. Essentially, these two began their connection in the womb, where they are born as twins. They're also very much in love. Later in life, Osiris is kidnapped and killed by his jealous brother, Set. In grief, Isis merges with Oriris' spirit, and they conceive a god-like child, Horus. Angered, Set has his brother's body cut up into fourteen pieces. In response, Isis shows her eternal love by gathering the pieces of her husband's body, until he eventually comes back to life.

Merriam-Webster defines a soulmate as "a person who is temperamentally well suited to another." Nonetheless, several top-tier therapists advise that even the most blissful marriages require a lot of effort to keep on course. “This expectation paves the way for significant disappointment,” says Sabrina Romanoff, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “Instead, replace the idea of ‘finding’ your soulmate, with ‘creating’ one through years of learning about them, navigating challenges, creating a family, and loving each other through all the happy and hard times.”