Opposite

merriam-webster.com has this definition –

Simple Definition of opposite

1:  located at the other end, side, or corner of something: located across from something

2:  completely different

enchantedlearning.com has the following information –

Opposites are also called antonyms. Some common opposites are:

absent – present,            alive – dead,      backward – forward,      begin – end,      

create – destroy,             dark – light

dead – alive,      end – begin, start,            fail – succeed,  

float – sink,         fresh – stale,      full – empty,      hard – easy

limited – boundless,       loss – win,           mad – happy, sane,         maximum – minimum, new – old,           no – yes

optimist – pessimist,      past – present,                

patient – impatient,       

possible – impossible,    stop – go,

strong – weak,  success – failure,              victory – defeat      

They say opposites attract – is this true?

psychologytoday.com article ‘The Real Reason That Opposites Attract’ begins with the following –

Did you ever think that it was a cruel joke of nature that most of us find ourselves attracted to people very much unlike us? I mean, wouldn’t it be an awful lot simpler and a lot less messy if we tended to be drawn to those whose personalities are more like our own rather than those who seem like they are polar opposites of us.

The article continues with the following –

We are drawn to others out of needs and desires that are unfulfilled in our lives, such as a desire to experience greater connection, security, love, support, and comfort. On the other hand some of those unfulfilled longings have to do with their polar opposites, such as adventure, freedom, risk, challenge, and intensity. While these needs and desires may appear to be mutually exclusive, they not only can co-exist with each other, but in the process, generate a “tension of the opposites” that produces the passion that sustains, deepens and enlivens relationships.

It continues with the following –

Opposites, or perhaps more accurately, “complements” do attract. Introverts and extroverts, morning people and night people, impulsives and planners, steady plodders and adrenaline junkies, adventure-grabbers and security-seekers…there’s no denying the idea that something in us is drawn to people who counter some of our dominant inclinations with complementary tendencies.

Gary and I are not total opposites, we certainly have our differences and we have our similarities.  If I had to pick and choose a few words from the above list, this is where the words would fall.

Terry                     Gary

Absent                 Present

Forward               Backward (he would disagree)

Destroy                Create

Dark                       Light

Fresh                     Stale (he would again disagree)

Limited                 Boundless

Mad                       Sane

Pessimist             Optimist (more so than me)

Impatient            Patient

Impossible          Possible

No                          Yes

Okay, upon viewing this list do you see who is the positive person in this relationship; the nice and pleasant person?  Do we have conflict?  Absolutely, but ultimately we balance each other out.

We balance each other out when it comes to other areas of our relationship as well.  He is a numbers guy – me not so much so.  I am the tech guy – him definitely not.

We have our differences and we have our similarities – ultimately we have each other.