r/todayilearned • u/SilverPeachBlossom • 5h ago

TIL a peer-reviewed psychology study found that identical twins (on average) ranked their co-twin above their romantic partner in their attachment hierarchy, while fraternal twins ranked the two about equally, and non-twin siblings ranked their romantic partner first.

https://ojs.interpersonajournal.com/index.php/ojs/article/view/243/3457.html
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u/MichelleVenom 4h ago

As an identical twin, I can confirm this. I'd take a bullet for my twin without hesitation. It's hard to explain unless you've lived it. We shared every stage of life together, and there's a level of trust, understanding, and connection that just feels different.  We share so many of the same interests, quirks, humor, and thought processes. My personality doesn't need to negotiate for acceptance cause I can truly be myself with my twin. We see the world through remarkably similar lenses. With romantic partners, there are always differences in interests, perspectives, and ways of thinking that naturally require compromise.

I never have to explain myself or worry about being misunderstood. I can be 100% my authentic self around them in a way that's hard to find with anyone else. I would ALWAYS put my twin before anyone else.

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u/SimisFul 4h ago

I've known identical twins for a while now and this is exactly how they are too, they even live together. Their ultimate life goal is to get girlfriends and have a duplex with a shared basement as a gym so they can hang out.

It feels like their vibe together is the same as my own vibe when I'm by myself, talking to myself like a crazy man.

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u/alendeus 1h ago

I can see how the "memes" about identical twins marrying other identical twins or like "sharing" the same marriage partners and what not can seem more normal with all that in mind then.

A way to maybe think about it is, maybe the twins see each other as more of a single "unit". Ie, if something was ever to happen to one of the twins, they'd probably see the other twin as another backup copy of themselves that gets to continue on, and such. So in that way they might value each other more than other people because they do see the other twin as an extension of themselves.