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People often have detailed ideas about the characteristics they want in a romantic partner.
However, research comparing people's stated preferences with their attraction to people they actually meet has found that these preferences don't always strongly predict whom they'll like.
Real-world chemistry involves combinations of traits and interactions that are difficult to evaluate as a checklist.
Preferences aren't meaningless, particularly for important values and deal-breakers.
But the person you become attracted to may not perfectly resemble the person you described before meeting them.
© Northwestern University