When we are kids, we are often taught certain very silly ideas. Perhaps one of the silliest and most harmful ones is that there is one perfect guy or gal out there who is absolutely meant for you and that until you find them, you will never be complete. Once you do find them, you will never again argue and all of your days will be filled with snuggles.

The truth is closer to the saying "different strokes for different folks." What one person might find to be an ideal partner, another might find to be the most horrific bore. A homebody is hardly going to make the best spouse for a raging extrovert; an adrenaline junkie is unlikely to make a nervous wreck very happy; and nor should a deeply religious person and an atheist assume there won't be some friction.

However, some qualities are simply baseline: the ability to tell the truth; to compromise; to show integrity; to own one's flaws without using them as an excuse. These and others are required for anyone to make a healthy relationship work, that will truly help both partners fulfill their potential and achieve happiness. That means you can tell a certain amount about someone's likely relationship status by their priorities in these categories - and a little by how they view the previous group, too. Let's get started!