Anyone looking for their "Knight in Shining Armor", their "Soulmate", or "The One" are kidding themselves. That stuff was created to sell greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, and various and sundry romantic paraphenalia. It's a nice idea, it just isn't realistic.

You have to be realistic about love and romance or it will bite you in the ass once the endorphins wear off. There's also no love at first sight. There's lust at first sight, intrigue at first sight, interest at first sight, even excitement but not love.

Love is if you still feel that way about them five years later.

I don’t need anyone to make me whole, I am already complete. When people speak about a soul mate or the one it is a fantasy. Yes one can meet a person who one loves to be with but not every moment of the day. There are not two people on earth who would have the same desires or hobbies one always has to compromise or give up one’s interests. Most people are together because they are afraid of being alone.

After numerous failures, I have determined that I, personally, am not cut out
to be in a romantic relationship. At least not for any significant length of time.
I no longer believe in "soul mates". I think it's exactly like you stated above.
Now, it would just be called slick marketing.

I think most of the people who come into our lives aren't really meant to stay there.
Particularly of the romantic variety.

I think, back in the day, people stayed together for a number of different reasons,
usually having very little to do with "love".
Societal and religious mores, financial constraints, children, etc.
Women now know they are not confined by societal expectations.

For myself, I'm fine being alone. I no longer have the energy or inclination for
putting up with anyone else's bullshit. I have enough of my own to deal with.

Get involved in things you love, and things you enjoy doing......then be open to the people enjoying with you...and travel, lots and lots of traveling.. and when opportunity knocks...answer

I had a love at first sight soul-mates. We were together from meeting until her untimely death. June used the Zeus analogy to describe us. I agree with her. She had sworn off marriage until meeting this random Englishman who'd just saved another lady's life. I proposed two weeks later, and she said yes, we were married a couple of months later, staying together for almost a quarter of a century.
Add to this, we had the same group of friends and had been just missing each other for about nine years before the fateful evening. A random encounter leading to me using my first aid skills, which put me in a different location passing on information which led to our eyes meeting and crash, bang boom. Love like neither of us had known before.
I don't expect to find that sort of thing again, but if I do it will be because it happens, not because I am searching for it.

Perhaps seeking someone compatible is more realistic than a "soulmate". It's very likely that if we seek perfection we miss out of opportunities to meet someone that would be a great match.

Its all BS except for that tiny handful of people who know its not BS. The rest of us can only get on with our lives as best we can.

I think the idea of a soulmate is corrupt bullshit. It locks people into the idea that somewhere out there is "the one". Or "how can I leave him if he's my soulmate, there'll never be a other". It undermines critical and autonomous thinking. There is no soul and even as a metaphor it conceals the idea that relationships take work, they're not magically perfect and there are many who could be good mates.

My father passed away when I was 3 years old. I recall several times in my younger years my mother talking about praying that "God" would give her a SOUL MATE. Later years I heard her comment that "God" would be her husband.

She is still a widow in her late 60s.

Soulmates are as much wishful thinking and fantasy as is a heavenly afterlife. Too good to be true. If you are fortunate enough to stumble upon someone with whom you're extremely compatible, then lucky you! I don't think that happens for most people. Even then, if you don't expect the occasional conflict, you're not being realistic. Most of us just have to learn to be adaptable and accommodating... or alone.

My take on searching for a soulmate: Stop searching. But live your best life, keep a curious mind and an open heart.

We will never find perfect "soulmates." As the existentialist says, we are each ultimately alone in the universe.
We are fortunate when we can find a person who appreciates some of the same things that we do, who will allow us to be ourselves,and to be their own independent person on their own without demanding that we share everything, and with whom be both derive comfort and joy.

While I don't believe in souls or soul mates I do believe in, for lack of a better term, "ultimate compatability".

Only because I found it (at a time when neither of us were looking for it). Never would have imagined it existed without experiencing it, and when we actually fell in love we both were so naturally high from it we had to help each other go up and down steps for about 3 days - it was awesome.

We still get "high" off each other but no where near as bad as it used to be. I think I could pass a field sobriety test now when there were times I couldn't have just from us being together.

But yeah on the rest. It's work, commitment, and letting each other be themselves without judgement.

I've been lucky enough to have two . Both of them started with lust but when lust is combined with 2 decent people who want to make each other happy. I think you get soulmates.

It's easy. Just lower your standards.

I never believed in soulmates, or love at frst sight.

I say that having been thunderstruck...falling head over heels during the first kiss and knowing after that first fuck that I would NEVER be as at ease, as in love, as satisfied as i was. I still remember days spent naked, exploring each other without making love, just to be with that man. Sigh. So many perfect moments.

I eventually found out he was married. But that did not negate those days nor that feeling. I still feel the same way 15 years later.

Ticks need love, too!

I'd be happy with someone respectful, willing to work as a team, someone to bounce ideas off of and share thoughts without recrimination. I'm more concerned day to day with myself and doing what makes me happy. I'm totally ok by myself. There's no less in being single than there would be with a partner.

I'm not looking for a soulmate. I'm not looking for someone to live with. I have found the one person I can't live without.

Lol
No such thing as soulmates - tics? Yes!
Perhaps the closest thing to soulmates is two people who recognize that relationships take work, and are prepared to do that work.

Great thoughts. I’ve run into those ticks before myself.

I suspect that "soulmates" are mostly a youthful teenage notion of "perfect" love with a "perfect" partner, from those simple days when we were less-complicated, less experienced (both good and bad), had fewer needs and deal-killers, no "baggage", no kids, no history, had perfect bodies and a blank slate ahead of us to explore together. That was then... this is now. Most of us on this site are way past that and have our own history and complexities. We don't believe in Santa, god, or miracles and should by now, know that the best-possible partner will involve making compromises, just as we'll need for that hypothetical partner to make for us. The best thing that the wisdom of our age can bring to us is the skill of each, from past experiences, in finding and accepting those needed compromises in a respectful and graceful manner.

Life is a journey and not a destination. Love can be painful as well as eventually one of you will lose the other as I speak from experience. I try to cherish the day and be more in the moment with this precious gift that life can provide.

Soul mate is hard to find at that very exclusive rare level ,Longer relationship i believe is where your ying and yang complimate each other and allows the both of your to grow in your own way but also so it also enhances your relationship ,which is continually changing thru the decades,The person you were in your young 20,s is not the person you are in your 40,s and so on. Where you over look each others little different ways ,as thaat is the way it is,to try and change is negative and futile usually but not always.just learn to come to terms with it so it is no longer a negative but make it into something you can chucle about at times

As the soul does not evidently exist the idea of a soul mate is at best questionable. My girlfreind did not like this response. I told her that there is no great mover and no meant to be. I did recover very quickly by adding that the difference between me and all the other guys was that the rest were just unlucky bastards!