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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: attract + opposites + really  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/4/2008)

SI.com Snoop and Les, proof that opposite attract. :: Vince Bucci/Getty ... SI.com - Aug 1, 2008 We're not sure what the bigger piece of news is here: that Les Miles actually goes to Baton Rouge's Rotary Club meetings, that he and Snoop Dogg are tight ... Opposites attract for this Dallas Cowboys defense duo Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - Jul 31, 2008 By CLARENCE E. HILL JR. OXNARD, Calif. ? Dallas Cowboys linebacker Zach Thomas is the defensive player not named Adam Jones who is getting the bulk of the ... 'Rooms' With a View Of Young Punk Love Washington Post, United States - Given the very familiar opposites-attract tensions in the story, Goodman and Gordon are wise to compress the banter wherever possible and let the band play ... Editorial: Don't park county's libraries on wheels Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - Only then can the libraries attract both the private donations and the tax support needed to underwrite high-quality services over the long haul. ... Treasurys slip ahead of auction, Fed decision The Associated Press - Strong economic data tends to attract money out of Treasurys and into riskier assets, such as stocks. In late trading, the 10-year Treasury note fell 7/32 ... Examiner.com You, Your Man, and Your Pet Examiner.com - Occasionally, however, opposites attract and you meet someone who is not an ?animal person.? They would never be cruel to any animal, they just prefer that ... Channel 4 News OPINION: Karen Krizanovich Part 2 Channel 4 News, UK - Should I have faith that opposites attract, or accept that our love was never meant to be?" Hey, love is blind. It is also, in your case, deaf and dumb. ... When it comes to defining tastes, 'opposites attract' can be a ... The Free Lance-Star, VA - Jul 24, 2008 To have your sensibilities link up and harmonize with one another is a really sweet task for any person. When I look into my own tastes, there isn't so much ... Art News: Beginning Aug. 1 Salem Gazette,  USA - Aug 2, 2008 9 from 4-7 pm The curated exhibit will feature artwork by Salem Arts Association (SAA) members exploring the theme ?opposites attract. ... Olympic spirit ebbs under Mao's gaze Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - It fails to attract the same crowds that mill noisily and naturally around the ancient Id Kah mosque at the opposite end of town. ...

Do opposites really attract?

There's been much talk of 'odd couple' relationships in showbiz circles of late.

News of the growing romance - and now the imminent engagement - between immaculately chic actress Nicole Kidman and hell-raising, tattoed rock star Lenny Kravitz was followed earlier this week by model Penny Lancaster's musings about how delighted she is that her lover Rod Stewart is the same age as her Dad.

When a huge amount of difference characterises a relationship - whether it's a generation gap, a radically different image or dissimilar personalities - it's easy to dismiss such relationships as a fad, not worthy of serious consideration.

• Bliss

  Yet it's surprising how many of them show considerable longevity. The Rod/Penny liaison, for example, has been going strong for four years now. And Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas are still one of the best examples of newly wedded bliss - nearly three years after their wedding.

  So is it true that opposites really do attract? Do we need the novelty of someone different from ourselves to make our relationships successful? Or are these 'odd couples' really not as mismatched as they seem?

  "The idea of opposites attracting is a stereotype, usually prompted by physical appearance or age," says relationships psychologist Dr Petra Boynton.

  "It's all too easy to dismiss a relationship with: 'what do they see in each other? She's tall/he's short; she's fat/he's thin; she's so young/he's old enough to be her father,' and so on."

• Values

  "What we forget is that although some couples may look very different, if their relationship is working they will have core values they share: on some level they will agree about the things that really matter to them.

  "This could be views on families and what they mean, whether or not to have children, or spiritual or moral convictions.

  "What some would call 'opposites' others might just describe as 'differences'. Many of us welcome the chance to enjoy a partner who brings something unfamiliar into our life, because to choose someone who is the same as you and in total agreement about everything would soon be boring."

• Differences

  "We get so hung up on the idea of differences and yet ultimately, when we're with someone, we get more similar over time. So it's something that matters less and less as a relationship establishes itelf," says Petra.

  And by closing our mind to the opportunities offered by a partner who is very different from ourself, our motives in having a relationship can be suspect, says Petra. Thus those of us who claim we know our 'type' - and that no other type will do - are losing out.

  "If you tell yourself there is a certain 'type' that suits you because that type supplies something you don't have - for example, if you always pick outgoing partners because you are shy - you haven't really been attracted by an 'opposite'."

  "What you've done is make a decision to have your aspirations fulfilled by a partner, which is ultimately unsatisfying as it's the easy option: you never have to push yourself."

• Excuse

  Petra adds that the opposites attracting idea may often be used as an excuse by couples to stop them sorting out any differences. 'It's amazing how many people will claim they're opposites as a way of staying in a relationship that doesn't really suit them,' she says.

  Ultimately, says Petra, differences of personality, looks or age aren't signifiers of a couple being 'opposites' , nor do they play a vital part in determining whether a relationship will succeed or fail. What will spell trouble is if you're radically different in outlook, religious beliefs or any other of the cornerstones of life.

  "The warning signs come when a partner says they will never change their mind about an issue and expect you to come round to their way of thinking," says Petra. "That's usually a dealbreaker in a relationship. When it happens, you cannot ignore it. Otherwise you could realise in a few years that you've completely wasted each other's time."