When you're in a relationship, it's easy to have your decisions and beliefs swayed by your perfect match.
The things your perfect match likes, you start to like.
The places he or she goes, you visit as well.
You start hanging out with the same people.
And soon, the decisions you make are swayed, as well.
Good and Bad of Being Swayed by Your Perfect Match This phenomenon is nothing new, nor is it all bad or all good.
As you spend time with your significant other, it's natural that you start to enjoy the things he or she enjoys.
That is one way that the two of you grow together and make your relationship become stronger.
If that doesn't happen, you won't have enough in common to have a lasting relationship.
Really, learning to like what the other person likes is a good thing for the relationship.
The bad part is that you can start to lose yourself.
The things you like you don't have time for or the inclination to pursue, because you're doing other things.
This can be okay for awhile.
The problems start when you start to get stressed or annoyed because you aren't doing the things you like.
This can be bad for you and your perfect match, too.
You'll start to feel like you never do anything you want.
You're only doing what he or she wants.
This can be bad for the relationship.
If you and your partner can find a way to enjoy things you both like, it will be better for the relationship.
Unfortunately, that's not usually the way things work.
Usually, one person starts to do what their perfect match does, without realizing they're losing an important part of themselves.
This changes who they are.
It can also affect the things you believe, value and even the way you behave.
Are You Likely to Fall Prey? Not everyone is going to fall into this trap.
Women are more often going to do this than men.
But men do it, too.
Many people are very adept at finding ways to enjoy the things they've always enjoyed while learning new things their perfect match likes, too.
However, if you're likely to go to sports games, play paintball, see chick flicks, horror films or raunchy comedy when you never did before, it's likely you're being affected.
Again, this isn't all bad.
But you need to make time for the things you like, apart from your perfect match.
Some characteristics of people likely to fall into this trap include: oCompetitiveness: You just found out your best friend is engaged.
Now, that's all you can think about.
You start finding ways to make sure your boyfriend proposes so you can get to the altar first.
Or, you find out that your best bud has season tickets to your favorite team's games.
You find ways to keep him from going.
You're likely to do things your perfect match likes just because he or she wants it, not because you do.
oJumping into things head first: Without thinking about what you want to do or what you like, you jump into things.
This can get you in trouble, with or without your perfect match.
The thing is, with your perfect match, you don't want to not do it for whatever reason, so you slowly do.
oFollowing social trends.
If everyone else has a bike, so you get one, too, it's likely you're going to do the things your perfect match likes most.
Simply because that's what he or she is doing, so you're going to do it, too.
How It Affects You When you start to do the things that your perfect match likes, just because he or she likes them, it can negatively affect you.
Three ways this can happen include: oMaking changes you don't want to make oAffects your plans for yourself oLeaves you out if you don't do it Being swayed by a perfect match is something that happens to a lot of people.
Think of the friends who all of a sudden take up a new hobby.
Again, this isn't all bad.
But it's not all good, either.
It can hurt your plans for yourself and set you back if you break up.
It can also make you do things you wouldn't do if you weren't trying to give your perfect match what you think he or she wants.