Become your own matchmaker and fall in love

(SOURCE: Ben Harthun / The Jibsheet)
(SOURCE: Ben Harthun / The Jibsheet)

Let’s play the dating game! Alright, bachelor number one is an Aquarius: enjoys talking about books, movies, and art while dipping his toes in the ocean, and loves giving deep tissue foot massages – can you say Renaissance man!
Next up is bachelor number two, and this groovy guy loves everything natural from the full course gourmet meal he wants to cook for you, to the wildlife and plants that surround him when he goes on his daily hikes, looking for beauty in his surroundings.
Ok, let’s not even move on to bachelor three because we need to wake you girls and guys up from your delusional dreams and get you to realize that dating shows are not the way to find your perfect match. Getting the chance to meet three perfect, beautiful guys or girls on a dating show and then magically falling in love is basically a load of crap.
Now, wait a minute, don’t go off and cry in the corner because you know you’ll never be on the Bachelor or Bachelorette; there are ways to finding your perfect match you just have to be patient, not be too picky, and just let the romance naturally happen.
First of all, dating shows should never an option, and if you think they are then it’s really not surprising you’re  alone …
Don’t be so desperate for love that you subject yourself to casting calls for “For the Love of Ray Jay,” “the Bachelor,” or “Rock of Love.” The only thing that will come out of this strategy is getting your 15 minutes of fame and a chance to show off how trashy you really can be before each commercial break.
Take a moment to really think about this, do you really think you will find your perfect match over the filming schedule of two or three months in a competition-like atmosphere with about 20 other girls or guys with the same intentions? I think not. Honestly, there have been like two couples out of the hundreds that these stupid shows have brought together that have actually made it and are happy.
Now that we got that little rant out of the way lets delve deeper into who you are really looking for and what criteria this perfect match must adhere to. Well to start let’s understand that the old saying “opposites attract” doesn’t apply when looking for your perfect match. It has been psychologically proven that opposites may attract initially, but tend to not continue into a lasting relationship.
Pieternel Dijkstra, a professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, conducted a study on the matter and says, “Although many individuals occasionally feel attracted to ‘opposites,’ attractions between opposites often do not develop into serious intimate relationships and, when they do, these relationships often end prematurely,” according to LiveScience.com.
When it comes down to it, identifying with someone, sharing similar interests, and morals, is what a relationship is based off of. If there are too many differences you really can’t relate to each other in any way that will keep your relationship strong.
There probably is an initial attraction to someone who is so different from you, and this can be exciting, but eventually those differences will become a problem and you’ll be back to square one.
Now that you know the characteristic traits of your dream person (at least what not to look for in a person) it’s time to figure where to go to find them. Other than bars or night clubs, where does one find a man or woman to relate to?
After asking around the campus, people said to choose certain classes that you know will attract girls and guys. A few people said to sign up for a Sex and Sexuality class because it’s a fun subject that breaks the ice with people right away and gets people talking. Sociology classes, and other discussion based classes, are also good for people to loosen up and talk  – rather than just staring at a powerpoint mindlessly taking notes. Taking classes that truly interest you will most likely surround you with people who have similar interests and would be attractive to you.
Also, I hate to say it, but those dating websites like Match.com do have large success rates and seem like a good option for those who are too busy to go out to bars and clubs to find someone – just throwing it out there.
Another thing to keep in mind that might negate this whole article is that looking for someone might not always set you up with your perfect match. Most likely when you aren’t looking, and when you’re not focused on the love search, you will meet that special someone when you least expect it. Corny, but true.