How much would you say you and your spouse/significant other have in common?

If you have (or believe you have) more than 50% in common, what are those areas?

Follow-up:

If you're in the less than 50% group, on what do you base your relationship?

Currently, financial.

My husband and I have been married 36 years. Although we have MANY things in common, there have been rough times. The one thing that has kept us together is our belief that God brought us together and we are committed to each other and to Him. Sure, there have been problems; but getting through them has given us the chance to work together and learn more about each other. Sometimes, I believe a couple just sees marriage as "disposable" and to be discarded if times get tough or if there seems to be something better. Think long and hard before the commitment is made (asking God if that is the right person for you); then, make the commitment and keep it. God will truly bless you and your family. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Family

We both believe the majority of people are idiots. That's enough to keep us tight.

I'll chime in with my $.02.

My husband and I have been married for almost 5 years. It was not the first marriage for either of us. While he loves military history, reading, computer games, and music, I enjoy HGTV, making jewelry and baking. While we have few common hobbies, there are things that we both enjoy.

We both enjoy the mountains and spending time together. Coming from failed marriages we both wanted a relationship where we felt loved, needed, and happy. Luckily, we found each other. We hold hands (we're 47 and 56) constantly, call each other several times a day, and love spending 'our' time in the evenings watching a movie, our favorite sit-com, etc. We cherish our time together and hopefully always will.

38 years this June!! Although we share many common interest, activities and interests we also have our own lives, friends and personalities. Would not want it any other way. Call each other 4 or 5 times a day just to check in. Been through some pretty tough times, with our son's bipolar condition will probably go through many more of them before we leave this earth but we do it together. We have known each other long enough to know each others strengths and weakness and know who should handle what when things come our way. Common bonds yes, joined at the hip - NO WAY!!! That part took years to work out but it was worth it. My parents were married for 57 years when my dad died so we had a good example. Just my life!!

Well after 26 years, three kids, her following me around in the Navy, our biggest common bond besides loving each other is that we are best friends.

precisely and simply why my marriage of 7 years could not be stronger.

This thread is depressing, it makes me wonder why I got married.

At least I can look forward to increased expenses, having to share the TV and being forced to watch Lifetime and pumping gas for two vehicles because it's "too cold" out. So I have that going for me, which is nice.



(I'm kidding, I'll be married two years in May and I love my wife)

you need to get out more, watch more than one movie.

But I've watched it so many times. If it were still around Christmas, I would work in some Christmas Vacation lines.

"I didn't mean I have a log in the sense you think I said a log"

Another follow-up:

If you have very little in common, what might you suggest to grow those common interests?

Seriously though (and that's tough for me to do ), my wife and I respect each other's differences and likes and dislikes.

I don't have a 'by the book' way to suggest, I just know what works for us. We can't possibly spend every minute together. But we always spend some time together (movies, dinner, talking, etc.). We also have a 6 year old girl that we involve in almost everything we do and we enjoy that.

We have to step back in a sense and let each other do their own thing from time to time and we trust each other enough to do that.

Hubby and I have been married a little over 7 years - not all of it quite so happily - but we've worked things out becuase at the root of it all we are best friends. Have been since I was 14. Otherwise, we're night and day. I'm a bookworm, he's a TV addict; I'll take classes for fun, he hated school with a passion; I like being a desk jockey, he can't sit still. Get the idea? We both love to be active outdoors, but our hobbies couldn't be any more different. I suppose when it comes down to it, we really have almost nothing in common...but it works for us.

Becca, you have each other in common and that is probably what makes it work.