#118: Why Anxious & Avoidant People Are Drawn to Each Other
Nov 8, 2023
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The podcast discusses why anxious and avoidant people are typically attracted to each other in relationships, exploring the core beliefs and family of origin explanations. It explores the attraction and dynamics between these individuals, emphasizing self-awareness, healing, and conscious decision-making in relationships.
20:42
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Quick takeaways
Anxious individuals are attracted to avoidant partners who reinforce their beliefs of working hard for love and feeling unworthy.
Avoidant individuals are drawn to the emotional expressiveness of anxious partners, which echoes their own suppressed emotional side.
Deep dives
Why anxious and avoidant folks tend to be drawn to each other in relationships
Anxious and avoidant people often find themselves drawn to each other in relationships. This pattern is rooted in subconscious insecurities and belief systems. Anxious individuals, who fear abandonment and have low self-worth, are attracted to avoidant partners who may be less emotionally expressive and consistent. This dynamic reinforces their beliefs of working hard for love and feeling unworthy. On the other hand, avoidant individuals, who view relationships as hard work and believe others want too much from them, find the emotional expressiveness of anxious partners alluring. These attraction patterns stem from familiarity and the need to prove oneself right, even if the narratives are painful. Understanding these underlying dynamics can help individuals develop greater self-awareness and make more conscious choices in relationships.
Recreating dynamics from family systems and origin stories
People often recreate relationship dynamics similar to those in their family systems. Anxious attachment styles are often rooted in inconsistent care, leading to anxiety and uncertainty about meeting needs. Avoidant individuals are drawn to the emotional expressiveness of anxious partners initially, which echoes their own suppressed emotional side. These patterns feel familiar and provide a sense of safety and comfort, even though they also trigger unresolved wounds. The tools and strategies developed in response to these dynamics feel well adapted to the interaction patterns, reinforcing the attraction between anxious and avoidant individuals.
Early dating and attraction to opposites
In early dating, avoidant individuals may pursue anxious partners, drawn to the emotional intensity and neediness they initially find attractive. Anxious individuals, craving stability and directness, are captivated by avoidant partners who exhibit competence and independence. However, as time goes on, the very traits that initially attracted them can become sources of frustration or criticism. This mismatched attraction can be attributed to the allure of complementary traits and the need to develop or heal aspects within oneself. Awareness of these dynamics allows individuals to cultivate self-trust and make conscious decisions in relationships.
In today's episode, I'm sharing some thoughts on the common question of why those with anxious attachment patterns are typically attracted to those with avoidant attachment patterns (and vice versa). As we know, this is a very common relationship pairing - which can be confusing when you feel like the challenges of that dynamic are at odds with your preferences and desires.
As we'll cover, oftentimes this is driven by subconscious patterns that propel us to recreate the familiar in a way that reinforces our core beliefs about ourselves and others.
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