Heres a list of differences, writer Melissa Noble, believes don't have to break up a relationship:#1. Music TastesIf you're cut from a cloth where self-worth is directly tied to taste in music, then this one may be tough. You may wince when you find that your mate du jour has never heard of Aaron Copland. You may want to run away screaming when they lack much of an opinion about Morrissey (and haven't even heard of The Smiths), but we think this is foolish. Unlike innate kindness or empathy, music knowledge is something that can be taught. And shared. So go and create that mix tape already.
#2. Intellectual TastesLet's say you make a visit to bookstore and you're drawn to Nietzsche, but your lover is more of a trashy memoir/easy beach read person. So what? At least you're both, er, reading. OK, OK, we get it. You may see reading material, education level, and profession as a reflection of a person's intelligence -- but this isn't always the case, my friend. What you really need to look for is breadth of knowledge in the chosen area. You might be working on a graduate degree in anthropology from a fancy-pants university, but what do you know about laying bricks? The scene in "My Cousin Vinny" when Marisa Tomei unleashes her almost God-like knowledge of car tires and all but frees her man's clients comes to mind as a perfect example.
#3. Friend TastesYes, birds of a feather flock together and you are who you hang with and blah blah blah. We've heard it. We've heard it all. But just because your boyfriend's college buddies are a poor (very poor) man's parody of "Wedding Crashers" and you don't connect with her BFF's discussions about "The Hills" (but is it real?!) doesn't mean this new flame is a no go. Now if you notice a trend that's a bit more, er, red flag-y -- say multiple friends in jails across the country -- then perhaps it's something to look into. Perhaps.
#4. Spending/Saving HabitsThis one's dicey. You should absolutely err on the side of caution when building a future with someone who, say, gambles away their paycheck. But
research suggests that savers are attracted to spenders and vice versa. Professors at the Wharton School of Finance and Northwestern University say the spender/saver relationship is just another way in which opposites attract.
This one's simple: if you don't like what they're working with, make sweet suggestions. No matter where you are, there's a mall somewhere close by, an outfit looking for a new home, and a credit card just aching to be put to use. Sometimes it is that easy.
