Cultural Similarity

A friend of mine is dating someone younger, of a different faith and race. To her, these are stumbling blocks that will be addressed when they cross that bridge. HOWEVER, since they had grown up in the same state of Klate they had A LOT in common. This, to her, would probably sustain the budding relationship for a couple of months (or probably years to come).

Come to think of it, with me it was probably a subconscious decision to marry someone of a similar culture, so that I do not have to explain (or debate) certain practices. Once I did get asked out by a "Mat Saleh" but decided to decline from Day 1 after having thought about the multiple permutations of this relationship (not) working out (I am weird that way).

Taken to the extreme, this preference/ inclination would create supremacist behaviour or worst, the decimation of other lives just because others are 'different'. The concentration camps during World War II and the more recent Christchurch attack comes to mind.

At a more moderate level, you will get people like me who gravitate towards dating or marrying someone with a similar cultural make-up.

Some others are more open. Mixed marriages are becoming more common. I will in fact encourage my children who would want explore intercultural marriage. In fact, I am the very result of that. My great great great great great grandfather was Chinese from mainland China. In between the lineage there were Arab, Thai and directly above me, Javanese descendants. Personally I embrace pluralism. I love it in fact. Marriage-wise however, I take the "comfort-zone" approach.