The 4 extraordinary marriage tips in this article will empower married couples to have a blissful marriage and enable unmarried individuals to marry right and quickly.

“I met Mark on board a plane in the summer of 2022. He was seated next to me on the plane, and we instantly liked each other,” said Emily (not her real name). “However, I believed he was my soul mate when I realised we were both heading to Barcelona for a holiday and had reservations in the same hotel,” continued Emily.

Emily and Mark got married one year after meeting on the plane. Six months after their wedding, Emily was no longer content with the marriage, prompting her to seek therapy in our office. “If he is my soulmate, why am I no longer happy in the marriage?” she questioned.

Soul mate does not exist. It is a myth,” I explained. 

“If it’s a myth, why is it in the dictionary?” Emily asked. 

In this article, I will explain the origin of the soulmate myth, how the belief causes unhappiness and divorce, and the solution.

The Origin of Soulmate

The term soulmate stems from a comedy performed by Aristophanes at an event organised by Plato in Athens, ancient Greece, in 416 BCE. In his comedy, Aristophanes, regarded as the father of ancient comedy, joked that humans initially had two bodies, each having four legs, four hands, two heads, and two sexual organs — male and female. Aristophanes remarked that Zeus, the sky and thunder god, eventually split humans into two, and since then, we have been searching for our other half. He concluded his comedy by saying our other half is called a soulmate.

Subsequently, in 1822, a famous poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, used the term soulmate in a letter to a young lady.

“To be happy in Married Life . . . you must have a Soulmate,” he said.

The letter contributed to popularising soulmate, causing lexicographers to add the word to English dictionaries. 

How Does the Myth Affect the Unmarried and Married?

When unmarried people believe that a soulmate exists, they start searching for a “perfect being” created to be their spouse. However, since such a person doesn’t exist, they can’t find one, and they end up experiencing late marriage and disappointment.

When people marry someone they believe is their soulmate, they often unknowingly expect a perfect marriage. But shortly after their wedding, they will realise they are not soulmates. This discovery can lead to a loss of hope in the marriage and a lack of effort to make it work, resulting in frustrations or divorce.

The Marriage Tips

Applying the following marriage tips will solve the soulmate myth. 

• You must first realise that soulmate is a myth. 
• Knowing God didn’t create anyone to be your spouse is also vital.
• Irrespective of whom you marry, unpleasant situations will exist in the marriage because no one is perfect.
• To be happy, you must tolerate and forgive your spouse and work on your marriage.

Did you believe in soulmate?

Can you share your negative experiences because of the soulmate myth?