When discussing love and relationships, the motto is usually less is more.
But what if there is more of one partner?
Being involved with identical twins can be quite the experience.
Can you really tell them apart?
Is everything identical?
If you're attracted to one, aren't you automatically attracted to the other?
So many questions.
Now we need some answers.
Redditor nicknamesofdaveryder wanted to hear about love and the twin experience, so they asked:
"Redditors who married someone with an identical twin sibling, why are you glad you're not with the other twin instead?"
I've never met a lot of twins, let alone gotten involved with a pair.
I have questions.
Hopefully I get some answers.
Saved
Comedy Central Wink GIF by Drunk HistoryGiphy"My late husband's twin was a non-functioning alcoholic and my husband wasn’t. My husband says joining the navy was what saved him from going down that road."
iteachag5
Falling Asleep
"Story time! I am an identical twin (we still look so much alike!) and one night I spent the night at her house. She and I fell asleep in the same bed because we were up late talking, etc. Her husband slept on the couch. The next morning my twin went to take a shower and her husband laid down on the bed with me (thinking it was her of course). I jokingly said 'Hey sailor, looking for a little variety?' He shot off the bed and said 'If I was looking for variety, do you think I'd choose you??'"
tanyagal2
The Good Guy And The Other One
"I didn't marry him but I dated an identical twin. His twin's girlfriend and I used to joke around that she got the evil twin. He was just a selfish, messed-up person. One of the benefits of breaking up with my boyfriend was no longer having his twin in my life. Plus, his ex gf and I are still great friends! The good guy was just the lesser evil. She wanted to get as far away from that family as I did. The best thing to come out of those relationships was our friendship."
super-ro
Love Wins
"My dad's an identical twin. People have a hard time distinguishing them, but to my mom and me, they look like two completely different people because of the way they walk/talk/etc. Obviously, my mom only fell in love with this one person. When you love someone it's actually pretty easy to tell identical twins apart."
michaelsgavin
Issues
Threaten Ashley Olsen GIFGiphy"The other twin has the same personality as I do. We argue readily and are super competitive with each other. We butt heads on a lot of issues."
why_not_send_a_nude
Personality clashes aren't just a twin thing.
It's a human thing.
We can't help ourselves.
Different People
Triplets GIF by RuPaul's Drag RaceGiphy"I work with a guy who married an identical triplet, one of the triplets also works with us. I asked him one day if it was weird working with someone who looked just like his wife. He got a little pissed and basically said they are all very different people and he doesn't see much of his wife in her."
LeafMeAlone_99
He's Evil
"We’re not married but known each other since we were 12 and have been together 3 and a half years. His twin is a massive di**head who tried to break us up multiple times, was madly in love with me in his own words, and after 2 years of pursuing me declared I was a terrible person and put him through hell. Because I didn’t break up with his TWIN BROTHER to date him."
xMollyP
Life Choices
"My husband and his twin brother look very different to me, although they are identical and get mistaken for one another all the time. They couldn’t be more different in terms of personality. They have different values and life goals, hobbies, one is introverted and the other is extroverted. If they were two people who didn’t look alike, I would automatically not be attracted to my brother-in-law simply because we are not remotely compatible personality-wise."
"Also they have very different styles. I do not find the way my husband’s twin dresses/grooms his hair attractive. It’s so wild to me when people can’t tell them apart because they couldn’t be more different in my eyes."
lanieeeeeeee
Opposites
"Well, my wife and I have been together for 30 years. She has a 'mirror' twin. Even now, if you don’t know them well or interact frequently you will not be able to tell them apart. They are complete opposites. I married the extrovert, she has never met a stranger, will try anything at least once, and can find a positive aspect in almost everything she encounters, they are also best friends, my wife drags her sister along all the time."
"Once she’s out she enjoys our activities. I love my SIL, all three of them, but so glad I married the one like me. The mirror part even goes for looks, when I see my wife’s reflection I see my SIL, it’s weird sometimes. Also, attitude and personality are everything, I have never been 'attracted' to her twin."
redbonecouchhound
The Look
Sexy Damon Wayans Jr GIF by Global TVGiphy"I used to date an identical twin. Although I found his brother objectively handsome, I wasn't attracted to him at all. It was cool to directly experience how attraction goes far beyond just the looks."
Liatessa
I've never been intrigued by twins, and now I never will be.
Redditorlew939wanted all the siblings out there to share a tale or two by asking:
Siblings of Reddit, What does your sibling do that irritates you the most?
My brother and I have an entire decade between us. There is not much that we can relate to when it comes to our daily lives. What we can agree on are the things that drive one another most crazy. I mainly can't stand his music, his clothes, and his hair. And I know best, because I'm perfect.
Shut Up!
Giphy"He's always loud, and whenever something doesn't go his way he screams bloody murder."
Sounds like Pop
"One-upmanship. No matter the topic, she knows better and needs to make sure I feel like an idiot."
- mkatwh
"That is exactly my father. So frustrating. Makes it impossible to have a non-surface level conversation, and then he gets annoyed that we don't talk that much. When I veer the conversation into topics where I definitively know more than him, he either tries to one up me again or just stops talking entirely."
Special Names
"When my wife and I were expecting twins my sister was jealous of the attention. She doctor shopped until she found someone who would prescribe a specific fertility drug that increased the likelihood of twins."
"We lost our twins about halfway through the pregnancy. But my sister took the names we had intended to name ours, and used that name for her twins."
Memories...
"You know that slightly embarrassing thing that happened 30+ years ago? Let's bring that up Every. Single. Time. Family. Gets. Together... for 30+years. We're all in our 40s and the annoying sibling thing never really ends. lol I still see my Mom and her siblings squabble from time to time."
"Edited to add: I feel like I should make it very clear that I dearly love my siblings. Every one has annoying siblings. I'm sure I annoy them as well. Lol."
- WW76kh
Bad Mom
a bad moms christmas GIF by Bad MomsGiphy"Screams at her kids because they dared to breathe in her presence."
- Bluellan
See these people get it. Sometimes you have to let family know when they are too much. Siblings can be the most self centered and obnoxious. And why do they have to be so loud? Ever heard of an inside voice? Damn...
The Bond
siblings fighting GIF by sam maurerGiphy"Care. If she didn't I'd most likely not be alive right now. It annoys me but she the only reason I feel too bad to go back to my old life style, even when things get bad."
People Share The 'Dirty Secrets' That Their Bosses Don't Want Customers To Know
Cheater!
"I have a younger sibling (around 10 years old) and all they do, all day, is zoom or play mine craft with friends, now this would be fine if they didn't constantly yell at each other."
"DID YOU CHEAT IN DIAMONDS?!"
"NOOOOOOOO"
"YOU BLEW UP MY HOUSE insert no proof other than that kid eating a donut at 3pm or soothing idk "
"I'm so done."
She's a Problem...
"She has absolutely no regard for other people."
"Example: I'm moving to Nashville at the end of the month. After she and my cousin volunteered to help me move, she immediately jumped into planning a "girls' trip". We'd stop in Santa Rosa to visit some famous swimming hole, stop in Cadillac Ranch, spend an entire day in Memphis, etc."
"When I told her I didn't want to do those things, especially because I have a cat and can't just leave her in a hotel room by herself, her response was that I'm "the one who wanted to do this trip". False, sister - it was you from the get-go. When my cousin agreed with me, my sister bailed because it wasn't going to be any "fun."
"Then, she decided she was going to drive up to Nashville from Orlando instead. Then she wasn't and would maybe come visit in July. I told her July wouldn't be a great time because I'll be out of town for a little while and training for teachers usually starts in mid-July. Then she was. Then wasn't. Then it was a maybe as of last week, but she wouldn't know until "like the weekend before."
"I texted her the next day wanting to know if she'd do me a favor if she came up on moving day and she replies that she isn't after all, but is coming up in July with her friend. And when I reminded her about why coming up in July wasn't good, she got mad at me."
Anger Issues
"My older sister gets angry and cannot control it, leading her to say some pretty messed up stuff to me or family members. I wish she'd be more self aware and change."
"I struggled with this for a long time. I'd get super angry for no reason and say horrible things. I hated it so much. Turns out I'm hypoglycemic and that's how I act when my blood sugar gets too low. Still not great, but it means I have a way to fix it when it starts to happen."
Bathroom Problems
toilet paper help GIFGiphy"He refuses to use regular toilet paper to wipe his butt, instead opting to use wash cloths and then just leaving his crap rags wherever he pleases. he also takes enormous poops and then doesn't flush."
Feeling a Grudge...
"They're all kind of selfish. I'm the exact middle of 5 kids, and they all really only care about themselves. I feel like I'm the only one to ever check in, and ask how they're doing. I've had conversations lasting hours and very rarely does anyone ever ask how I'm doing. We're all really close, but I've gone through a few major life changes and a pretty big trauma in the last two years, and not one of them called to make sure I was OK. I try not to hold a grudge or make it a fight, but I find it pretty irritating."
Young and Immature
"He's the epitome of a 'younger sibling' mentality. I'll admit, I have a temper, but it doesn't excuse him antagonizing me half the time. I used to get punished all the time when I was younger because he'd provoke me and go crying to our mother. As we've gotten older (we're in our teens now), our family has begun to realize this, and things have gotten more fair. I still get grounded occasionally, but it beats getting punished for things I'd never even done half the time. But now when he doesn't get his way he whines to our mom about how "You NEVER take my side!."
Get Out!
"My little sister will stand right outside my door (open it if closed) and when told to leave goes "but I'm not in your room" but if I walk by minding my own business she's scream "GET OUTTA MY ROOM" every. Damn. Time."
"I just moved in to my own room, and my sister did the exact same thing, I was setting up my pc, and she kept stepping in and out for 5 minutes straight, pissed the hell out of me. On top of that, later in the same day my sister told my mom" (my name) was screaming at me when I was doing nothing."
T. M. I.
"One of my sisters has no damn filter. I know way too much about her sex life. The first thing she said when I told my family my new boyfriend was in a wheelchair was "does his penis work?". Her smarta** comments have gotten her into trouble way too many freaking times. She needs to pipe the hell down."
- rlw0312
Calm Down Yo
Over It Reaction GIF by Women's History MonthGiphy"One of my siblings is always dramatic and intrusive. Always fighting or making comments. We are opposites and it kills my mellow."
So Lazy
"My younger brother always asks me to do things when he is perfectly capable of doing them himself. "Can you make me a snack?" "Can you get my phone from the other room?" Usually I'm pretty good about people asking me favors, but he does it out of laziness and it really grinds my gears."
Chores...
fx networks toilet GIF by Better ThingsGiphy"Whenever there is a chore to be done that we both have to do is he is suddenly taking a 10 hour crap. So annoying."
He's Gross...
"Leaves his hair in the shower drain, leaves his butt lint on the toilet seat when he takes a crap, leaves a mess on the kitchen counter when he cooks, leaves garbage near the pail when he misses a free throw, leaves his dishes in the sink, doesn't spray nearly enough when he takes a crap, slams the dog gate every time he walks through it."
"He doesn't freaking respect any of my belongings, puts his dirty feet up on my desk when I repeatedly tell him not to, and recently he broke my monitor for my windows vista computer because he was watching anime and then he tried to turn it off and he slapped it really hard several times and now it doesn't stay on for more then 2 seconds every time I power it on."
"He also throws around my switch controllers, and has broken one, made the a button stop working on another, and has no sense of respect for me, like not letting me sit on his bed when I come in his room, and usually ushers me out very aggressively yet he comes into my room freely, and without permission. He is 17, about to turn 18, I am 15, about to turn 16. You would expect him to be freaking mature by now but he's not."
Must You?
paper bag GIFGiphy"She breathes.... That's not saying I hate her, I literally mean that she breathes louder than a normal person should, and I'm lowkey worried about her health."
In the end I do love my sibling. But if there was a prize for burning my last nerve? He'd win all of the time. And clearly I'm not alone in this issue. You gotta love family. I suppose...
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Those videos of bewildered babies are adorable! But what can be cuter than a baby? How about... a pet? You would assume most animals could distinguish between people by smell, but sometimes it may take a pet a minute to understand that they are looking at two identical people.
Redditor u/avianthon asked people to share their pet's reaction to their identical twin, and it proved that animals aren't always as sharp as we may think.
20. They become a lap dog
"My sister lives an hour or so away and doesn't see my dog that much but she gets far more excited to see her than anyone else. She's a 70 pound pit and we are 5'1' and gets right in the center of her lap. It's very cute and funny."
19. Cat and dog people
"I have a dog, my twin has a cat. They both treat us like a different human. My dog adores my twin sister and her cat adores me."
18. They listen very well
"Not a twin, but my sis and I sound and look alike. My lab/blue heeler mix will greet her like she's me. Madi (the dog) loves my sister (who tolerates dogs) almost on par with me. My sis lives 3 hours away, so we only see her a few times a year, but man, Madi listens to her like a champ. Madi knows its not me, but she still respects her as a leader of the pack."
18. She never forgot that vet visit
Giphy"My cat (died in December) hated my sister. She first met her when she was a kitten and was actually the person who took her to get spayed because I had to work. Up until that point she seemed to tolerate my sister so she blames that on the personality turn. Either way even when my sister lived with me for a few months when she moved back to this state my cat never warmed to her."
17. This lizard was afraid
"My red eyed crocodile skink kept looking at the two of us then ran in it's cage"
16. They can smell who is who
"Idk what happened to others, but I have 2 friends who are identical twins, they own a golden retriever. One of them, Quincy, owns the dog. They lived separately and when they reunited, me and the dog were there. And the dog was ok, he could smell who's Quincy and who's not. But at the end turns out, the dog likes me the best."
15. This cat loves everyone
"I'm an identical twin and adopted a cat 3 years ago. She's had no different reaction to my brother than me. She's super chill and loves all people."
14. These pets are very welcoming
"My cat doesn't see my brother too much, but if he sees us on the couch together watching football or something, he'll alternate between the two of us like we're the same person. He doesn't really freak out or anything. I just think it's hilarious that my cat doesn't even really know my brother and he still treats him like family, but won't give my roommates the time of day. He either knows we're twins, or thinks we're the same person."
13. This dog was confused by matching outfits
"Our sons are not twins at all, but people mistake them for one another all the time. Oldest son left for 2 years during which time we got a new dog. New dog did not like oldest son when he returned, but adored youngest son from the get go. One day both sons walked in the door wearing the same outfit (not planned) and the dog stood there not knowing who to bark at and who to go to for loves."
12. This dog had to pause
"His dog Pablo the pitbull lost his freaking mind when I walked in, then my brother walked he just.. froze"
11. Like having another dad
"Our dog loves my husband's twin! He went crazy for him immediately, and jumps on him like he does my husband."
10. The cat didn't know who to trust
Giphy"My mom is an identical twin. My childhood cat Linus was a total scaredy cat, abused at an early age and terrified of new people, but an absolute sweetheart with us. When my aunt came to visit for the first time, Linus walked right up to her and snuggled against her leg. She started scratching him and all was going great until he saw my mom. Cue very quick back-and-forth head turns, followed by running up the stairs and hiding for hours! Poor baby!"
9. Pups and kids can't tell the difference
"Rusty was a good boy and was ecstatic there were two of us. More to play with, I guess. He learned to tell us apart though, and I kind of felt like an indulgent uncle with him. It's even more fun as my brother and I have had children in our own families and they can't tell us apart until they are almost two."
8. The birds wouldn't fall for it
Giphy"My dad and his brother were identical and same voice, too. My dad rescued a nest of bird babies whose mama never came back and he would feed them. He would go outside and say 'where are my babies?' And their little heads would pop up, chirping and chattering and he would feed them.
One day his brother came over and my dad told him to go out and say 'where are my babies?' And the birds stayed silent. Not a peep.
He tried again to no avail. My dad said it and instantly the babies popped up and chirping.
They couldn't see him, and his voice was identical yet they just knew. It was uncanny!"
7. An evil twin
"Identical twin here. It's weird because my dog loves me but HATES my sister. Like, when she comes around he growls at her and barely lets her touch him. I have no idea why, he isn't like this to the rest of my family or friends. Maybe he thinks she is an imposter? Lmao we have no idea!"
6. Poor pup...
"My dad and my uncle were identical twins - their voices sound so similar even my mom would get confused before the invention of caller ID. My dad passed away last year, and when my uncle came over the family beagle didn't notice, but when my uncle spoke he perked up. But then he would go and sniff him and get sad again."
5. They can smell the difference
"I'm an identical twin, my dogs had no issues distinguishing between me and my sister. They could tell by smell."
4. Cats don't mess around
"My twin and I have lived separately and together several times. My dog treated my sister and me like two separate members of the same family, but both our cats (one is mine, one is hers) have made it clear from the beginning the other twin is a second class citizen. We have exactly the same voice so when we visit each other there's about 1 minute of 'why are there two of you' and then it's business as usual."
3. The voice was confusing
"my grandfather had a younger brother whose voice sounded indistinguishable from his own, to all us humans anyway. they were not twin like in appearance (nor scent, one assumes).
one day our big studly master of his domain German Shepard catches Uncle Reggie on the front porch and starts going at him and Uncle Reggie says, 'oh Scout, now stop that.'
And Scout did the full cartoon stop, head sideways, and that whimper that sounds like a question mark.
So his appearance wasn't mistaken by the dog at all - but he did confuse the hell out of him with the identical voice."
2. I feel so bad for this loyal dog
"Long time ago my grandfather had a dog that went with him to work the fields on his farm. He passed away and dog stayed with my father and his mother. G-father's brother came up the driveway one day to visit, walking and looking like my g-pa. The dog went crazy in the house. She was barking and going from window to window. They finally let her out as he was walking up the steps to the porch. She ran up to him all excited until she saw it wasn't her master. It was like someone had kicked her. The tail went under and she slowly walked over to her bed and laid down in her sadness."
1. It's thrilling to have two owners
"The first oddly-specific ask reddit I am qualified to answer. My dog lost his mind when my twin came to visit. He excitedly dashed back and forth between the two of us thrilled to see us both.
Then again, he's a golden retriever so he does that with everyone."