Are you single, ready to mingle? Worry not! Your perfect match is just a ‘test’ away,” claims a new dating service. According to a report in the leading British newspaper The Telegraph, the dating service will match partners based on their DNA profiles.
“The £120-a-time Gmatch service uses saliva samples to test whether potential partners are compatible and claims a better success rate than any other matchmaking website,” says the report.
This is not the first time that a DNA-based dating service has been launched. A few years ago, a dating service called Scientific Match promised to pair up people who will be physically attracted to each other because their DNA is different.
“Well-matched couples will like each others’ natural scents, have more fun in bed, and bear healthier children than those who are genetically similar,” claimed the company. Then, a couple of years ago, a Swiss company called GenePartner.com started offering biological matching services.
According to GenePartner.com, “Based on the genetic profile of the client, the GenePartner formula determines the level of genetic compatibility with the person they are interested in. The probability for successful and long-lasting romantic relationships is greatest in couples with high genetic compatibility.”
So now we’re turning to biology for finding perfect chemistry. What happened to the good old gut instinct, I wonder? And have we become so risk-averse that we now want to trade our humanness for scientific guarantees, even in love?
To be honest, I do not know how successful these DNA-based dating services are. However, what I am certain about is that human relationships are not just about biology and chemistry.
In attempting to test love in a test tube, we are reducing it to a mechanical phenomenon, which may or may not reduce the risk of failure, but it’s guaranteed to suck the life out of love.
The mystery and the uncertainty of a new relationship is what makes falling in love so alluring. Part of the charm of romance is the risk that accompanies it. It’s true that we’re most vulnerable when in love. But isn’t it also true that when we’re in love we feel the most alive?
Love is an unexplainable but glorious phenomenon of being human. If we reduce love to the level of physics, chemistry and biology, we’re missing the point, and a very big one—we’re more than just our physical bodies.
If you ask me, the real test of love is not in a DNA-test; it’s in our ability to transcend human imperfections. Like Sam Keen, the noted American author, professor and philosopher has said, “We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
Spot an error in this article? A typo maybe? Or an incorrect source? Let us know!
It specifically says on genepartner.com that genetic compatibility isn’t the only thing you need for a relationship.
“There are two important aspects to every romantic relationship:
1. Social compatibility (such as age, education level, humor, life goals, interests etc.)
2. Biological compatibility, which ensures good chemistry and higher chances of successful long-term relationship
It is the competence of matchmakers and online dating sites to expertly analyze social compatibility factors, while GenePartner provides an accurate analysis of the biological compatibility between two people. Using both systems together with every match query ensures the best possible overall compatibility.” – genepartner.com
They are not saying that they can magically help you find love through genetics, just that they, along with regular dating sites, can help narrow it down.