The idea of a soulmate dates back to 2000 B.C. from the Egyptian mythology text, “The Book of the Dead.” In the script, the god Atum created the two gods Shu and Tefnut, each with half a soul.

In Plato’s “The Symposium” Zeus originally created humans with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. In fear of their power, he split them into two separate beings and forced them to spend their entire lives in search of their other half.

According to a poll by Marist, 73% of Americans believe in the idea of soulmates. That 73 % is incorrect. Soulmates are a fictitious idea that originated from mythology and still exist due to the oblivious minds of hopeless romantics.

Soulmates began as a myth and are just that. However, it seems like there are still some people in search of their second half. If someone is in a relationship and does not believe their partner is their soulmate, they are less motivated to make the relationship work. Instead of settling, people should be open to growth and adaptability in a relationship.

The thought of having a perfect person to complete you is a nice thought, but, in truth, is unrealistic.

“[Soulmates] are impractical and because of it, so many relationships fail. People do not realize that love changes, and some people have to change and work for it,” said Ocean Lakes alumni Paige Zuchristian.

Furthermore, I have known girls who expect their prince charming to pop up out of nowhere and fall in love with them. If a person truly wants to be in a loving relationship, they need to put themselves out there, go on dates, create a dating site account, etc.

“Love requires work,” said Zuchristian. “The idea of a soulmate means that a person cannot be whole on their own. As if they do not find their soulmate, half of them is always missing.”

A study titled “When it Hurts to Think We Were Made for Each Other” asked participants to pick between phrases or images that either suggested that their take on love is based on lovers who are star-crossed or whether it is a bumpy road. The soulmate group was more negative in regards to problems in their own relationships compared to the more realistic group.

“People who view themselves as soulmates tend to be less satisfied when they think of the conflicts in their relationships,” said Spike W.S. Lee of the University of Toronto, who co-authored the study with Norbert Schwarz of the University of Southern California. “It’s inevitable. In the soulmate frame, conflicts are bad. People think, ‘Well, maybe we’re not the perfect fit.’”

The idea of love has been blurred by the idea of soulmates. Love happens spontaneously, it is not determined by fate.

“Love doesn’t just magically work like that,” said Zuchristian.