There is no hard and fast rule as to what kind of person you get attracted to. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. But as individual choices take priority, you carve out a specific ‘type’ of person you allow yourself to be attracted to, and you seldom step out of this neat circle to find other genuinely interesting people.

As they say, you don’t decide to fall in love with a person, it just happens. And sometimes, this person might just be outside that neat little boundary you’ve drawn for yourself. Now imagine yourself proactively seeking someone who doesn’t fit in your ‘type’ from any angle. Well, that could turn out interesting, doesn’t it?

Here are five reasons why you should step out of your comfort zone and ‘type,’ and date someone who shatters all your ‘type’ expectations.

1. Push your boundaries

Being with a person who likes what you like, wants what you want, may sound like a dream come true, but it can also limit your experiences. Having a partner who is opposite to your taste will force you to push your boundaries and learn new things along the way. You may have never thought of going scuba diving, but now you can experience the beautiful underwater life which you would have missed out on, had you not stepped out of your comfort zone. Although you might feel slightly out of place, and feel you’re out of your element, it would have been worth it in the end if you gain a new life experience, don’t you think?

2. Gain a new perspective on life

Having a partner who has different interests than yours will open a whole new world of experiences for you. You may discover new things about yourself, you may even love the new you that has crawled out of the cocoon. You get a chance to grow as a person. And even if it doesn’t work out with them, you will get a better idea of what you really want from your partner. So that’s a win-win from any angle you look at.

3. A lesson learned

There is always a possibility that a relationship might not last, irrespective of the other person being your type or not. If this happens while you were with someone who is totally dissimilar, you will still have learnt a great deal about yourself as a person, and will have a fresh perspective about the kind of partner you fit in with. Not to mention great memories of your time with the person who got you out of your comfort zone and expanded your horizon. A cool chronicle and a great experience to share, what more can you want from a breakup!

4. F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Friends are that support system in your life which never runs out of batteries. A recent study showed that the people who are opposite to each other have a higher probability of ending up as friends after a breakup. If things go downhill, you may gain a friend for life, along with a few funny laughs over your (mis)adventure.

5. Finding true love

Sticking to a pattern and a type of person while dating is a very common notion, and every once in a while it needs to be remolded, or broken altogether, to find true happiness. If romantic movies like ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ and ‘The Notebook’ are anything to go by, you can find love in an unexpected place with an unexpected person.

You just might be sabotaging yourself if you’re stuck to your ‘type’ like super-glue. Sometimes, you need to make changes in your ‘type’ checklist, and step outside your comfort zone to date someone who is not your type. Because, ‘a comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.’