The Idea of Soul Mates

Soul mate: it’s the idea of having another person being our other half. We hear the term everyday; in movies, real-life and especially Hallmark greeting cards. The thought of there being another human being roaming the universe that’ll complete us was a powerful message in Jerry McGuire that left the world in a hopeless state of romanticism–was that so bad? Just a little. It symbolizes that alone, we’re not whole, we are enough and according to Sex and the City’s Kristin Davis, “The idea of soul mates makes me want to gag“. But where did the idea of soul mates begin? You might change your mind about the concept after you hear where it came from, or at least give you something to think about–especially about homosexuality. Imagine that.

The idea of soul mates was introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. He told the story of how humans were once born with 2 faces, two sets of genitals, two sets of arms and legs and they existed in three categories; man-man, woman-woman, and man-woman. The humans of ancient days were very powerful and eventually got a little too cocky which made them confront the gods and start an attack. They started their ascend to Mt. Olympus and if you can imagine, there where throngs of these human-like spiders making their way up to Zues.

As punishment, Zues–along with the help of another god, Apollo, split everyone in two forcing the now-split humans to frantically run around looking for their other half. Since three categories existed, three hunts went into effect. Man looked for man, woman looked for woman and one set of men looked for women, thus creating the idea of soul mates and explaining a little about homosexuality in the process.

Personally, I’m beginning to like the idea of soul mates a little more, but not the Jerry McGuire kind–moreover the idea of finding someone to play with and complementing your current existence–not completing it. To think that happiness or that you’re only completed by another person sets us up for failure. I also don’t believe that we’re meant to love only one person in our lifetime, the idea itself is ancient and out-dated, but I feel I have found my own soul mate in Cris, my bff of over 26 years, but that would mean that she and I were a man-woman combo. Damn it, there goes my theory on homosexuality according to the Greeks since I’m in to men and so is she. Well, back to the gay drawing board, I guess.

What are your ideas on soul mates, is the term over worked and misguided in today’s society? What do you think about Plato’s idea of soul mates? Leave a comment.

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