Respect Each Others Likes

Most people meet because they share a common interest. May it be you both enjoy photography, or tennis, or writing, it is the common interest that brings you together. My boyfriend and I met at a university lecture together because we shared the same interest for that course. However, as time went on, even though we shared a lot of hobbies, there were many hobbies we did not share. It is important to keep in mind that no matter how similar you are, there will always be activities, hobbies, or likes that differ.

Recently, we came across one that caused a little bit of disagreement between us. He is a major fan of the Doctor Who series. I, on the other hand, cannot understand the phenomenon of the show. Like the great boyfriend he is, he was very excited to share with me a DVD extra about the show. However, without a thought, I just shot him down with a solid ‘no, Doctor Who does not make sense’. That in turn, made him really upset because he wanted to share a part of him with me but I had insulted it. I was not very respectful at all. I learnt that I had to respect that he is attached to this show and to accept that he will be engaging in this activity often, no matter what I saw. There is no point being negative towards something that he harmlessly enjoys.

There are also many other activities that he has shared with me that I now actually enjoy. If it were not for him, I would not have given cricket a second glance. He is a big supporter of cricket and because I grew up in Hong Kong, cricket is not a popular sport there, I knew nothing about it and did not have any interest in it at all. However, I opened myself to the sport, tried to learn the rules and actively engage in it with him. Now, I actually enjoy the sport, understand the complexity and can hold a conversation with him about it. I feel like I know him better and he really appreciates that I can participate with him and cricket. Be open about your significant other’s interest because you can discover something new, expand and grow together. If it turns out it is something you don’t particular enjoy together, it’s okay because you have gained a better understanding of your significant other.

Likewise, he decided to spend some time with me watching one of my favourite TV shows – The Office US Version. At first when I told him about The Office, he scoffed at it because he didn’t think it was funny. Now, it is one of the TV shows we watch together when we have some time to kill, we can understand each other’s quotes and have our own little ‘thing’. Always share your interest, even if you think it’s not something he or she may enjoy. It could be one more thing you share together or you learn that the particular interests is just for yourself.


In summary:
- Be respectful – the hobbies, activities, interests are important to them and makes them who they are

- Be open – you never know, you might end up enjoying it with them and creating a new activity that you can enjoy

- Share your interest – you will only learn something about yourself and your significant other



#_Love
#_Sharing
#_Connections
#_Relationships
#_Interests
#_Together
#_Fun

%trulyheart