By Avantika Swali
Is it essential to be 'relatable' in order to be well-liked? To understand whether it is critical, one must examine the difference between personal connection, admiration, and appreciation. I believe that to have a relationship; one must be able to relate to their partner. The relationship need not be strictly romantic; even friendships require some form of commonality to be lasting.
The term well-liked can be easily confused with admiration and appreciation. Artists and musicians are admired and appreciated for their talent, making them seem like they are well-liked. For example, Vincent Van Gogh is world-renowned for his art; his paintings are jealously guarded and sell for hundreds of millions of dollars. Van Gogh is undoubtedly appreciated and admired by many in the art world, but was he well-liked? No, because he was not relatable. We can also argue that a compassionate, honest person is well-liked simply because we like their kindness and honesty and not necessarily because they relate. In this scenario, we appreciate the character traits of a compassionate, honest person. Still, we would not be able to form a lasting relationship if we do not relate to each other, as we have nothing in common. We define admiration as 'respect, and warm approval' and appreciation as the 'recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something,' neither definition mentions anything about liking a person on a personal level.
In my opinion, for a relationship to be lasting, it must have an impression on the people involved. Something must draw them back together. People generally remember things if they have something to do with themselves because humans, as a whole, are remarkably self-centred. Therefore, being relatable will result in a more significant impression and a foundation for a long-lasting relationship. The word 'relationship' even begins with 'relate.'
Relatability is also directly associated with popularity because people find comfort in those similar to them and tend to support those who hold their ideals and beliefs versus any others. It is common knowledge that those who share the same beliefs and values tend to 'stick together.' Someone who is relatable and has commonalities with the general public will be more popular than someone who separates themselves from others. Additionally, relatability allows people to feel more confident about themselves, as people find comfort in the fact that others like them are well-liked and happy. Hence, someone relatable is quite usually popular. They make the general populous feel better about themselves since they can relate to someone liked by all. The comfort found through relatability elucidates that a more relatable person could aquatint themselves quicker in a new environment than their less relatable counterpart.
For example, my best friend and I met when we were two years old, in preschool. We were friends that related well with each other, and we made a powerful impression on each other. Though we didn't meet for nearly a year until we both coincidentally started at BIS, we remembered each other and quickly became best friends. I'm not saying that we're the same person, we have a lot of differences, but we do have enough in common that we relate strongly to each other.
Claiming that 'relatability is essential' does not mean that a relationship between two different people is doomed to fail. Interracial, multi-ethnic and mixed relationships are perfectly viable, as long as those involved share some values and have something to bond over. A child from a lower economic background or a child with a mild disability may find it difficult to integrate themselves into a classroom environment. However, I believe that this is because we are not taught to recognise and respect differences from a young age. Just because one seems 'different' does not mean that they are unrelatable; we may find plenty in common with those who are different.
The extent to which one needs to be relatable to be well-liked is also debatable. One must relate enough to one's friend or partner to have enough things to bond over. I believe that it's essential in a relationship to be able to scream "me too!" in excitement when they find something in common, and they can talk about it and create jokes about it. They need to have just a few commonalities, shared values and hobbies that they can bond over.
To conclude, lasting relationships require relatability and commonality. Relatability is associated with popularity because people find comfort in those similar to them and thus leading to confidence. Therefore, I believe that it is essential to be 'relatable' in order to be well-liked.
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