Jason Carroll, Wheatley Institute's Family Initiative Director, authored an article for the Institute for Family Studies
Soulmate Marriage vs. 'The Only-One' Marriage: Knowing the Difference Matters
Even though many leading relationship experts have expressed concerns about the potential negative effects of the “soulmate model of marriage,” a recent poll shows that an astonishing number of Americans continue to believe in the idea that they have a “one-and-only soulmate” waiting for them somewhere out there. A 2021 YouGov poll of nearly 15,000 U.S. adults found that 60% of respondents believe in the idea of soulmates, with women being slightly more likely to endorse the notion of a soulmate (64%) compared to men (55%). To be fair, these numbers do appear to indicate that soulmate thinking may be diminishing compared to previous survey results, but these findings also confirm that the quest to find one’s soulmate continues to play a significant role in how many people approach dating and marriage.Even though many leading relationship experts have expressed concerns about the potential negative effects of the “soulmate model of marriage,” a recent poll shows that an astonishing number of Americans continue to believe in the idea that they have a “one-and-only soulmate” waiting for them somewhere out there. A 2021 YouGov poll of nearly 15,000 U.S. adults found that 60% of respondents believe in the idea of soulmates, with women being slightly more likely to endorse the notion of a soulmate (64%) compared to men (55%). To be fair, these numbers do appear to indicate that soulmate thinking may be diminishing compared to previous survey results, but these findings also confirm that the quest to find one’s soulmate continues to play a significant role in how many people approach dating and marriage.