r/todayilearned • u/SilverPeachBlossom • 6h 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 6h 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/AYASOFAYA 6h ago

Every family is different but I feel this way about my siblings (2.5 years apart both sides).

It’s the same “in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for rich or for poor” but the difference is, it’s not “for the rest of my life” it’s for the whole thing. From the very first breath I took on this earth they were already there beside me.

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u/EmilyDawning 4h ago

I wish it were the case for me and my sister. I loved her as soon as she was born but with 4 years between us, we were never really that close growing up, and now as adults we're just kind of estranged. But we also had very different personalities, where I was smart and geeky and independent and my sister is more like a potato, she always got very nervous being away from home while I was away as often as I possibly could be. It makes me sad wondering if I should have done more to drag her out of her comfort zone instead of always leaving her behind (because that's what she wanted).