Possibility of Perfection

So anyone who knows me knows that I don't really hide the fact that I watch a lot of reality TV. This is for a variety of reasons that I'd be more than happy to share with you if you're really curious...but that's not my focus right now.

Recently I added a new show to my schedule: Big Brother. In some ways this show is the least interesting among reality TV (there's just not much to it in the grand scheme of things), but at the same time it is one of the most interesting because it is completely a study in sociology. And it seems like they're upping the ante. This time they've paired off the contestants in couples defined by "compatibility testing" completed based on their interview process and told them during the pairing process that they were "potential soulmates."

And obviously a lot of the time part of the goal of reality tv is to get people to pair off naturally so as to create storylines that draw viewers, but this is adding a completely different dimension. When you tell someone that a person could be their soulmate, doesn't that automatically create a curiosity and tune the individuals into seeking out fact to support the possibility. And hence it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sheer brilliance on the part of the BB writing and casting crews.

However, I suppose this result only holds true if the participants believe in the idea of soulmates. Which, obviously, in this case comes back to the casting, but still it would be interesting to see how it would be different in a situation with a cast that wasn't completely sold on the soulmate mentality...or that was maybe half and half. But that would be another show.

So this makes me question my own views on the idea of a soulmate...and I'm just not sure. But I also wonder, what makes a soulmate? What does that look like?

And then, about the compatibility testing situation. I'm curious what makes people compatible. Is it similarities...or more along the "opposites attract" mentality? Or a combination? Are there certain factors or combinations that are absolute in a functioning relationship?

And really, when it all boils down to it, there's the question of whether the "scientific" factors weigh in at all, or if it's all just something innate and indefinable. Maybe someday I'll have something other than questions on the topic:) In the meantime, it's fun to be curious.