Supplementary and Complementary Characteristics in Man-woman Relationship

All inter-personal relationships may be put in two broad categories - complementary and supplementary while in a supplementary relationship, each one adds to attributes of the other.  A relationship is said to be complementary when each of the related compensates for deficiencies of the other. The most glaring example of a complementary relationship is that between a man and his woman. None of them is complete without the other and each one is providing his/her attributes to overcome deficiencies of the other. Does it mean that ideal husband and wife have nothing in common. Not exactly.

Every man has some female attributes and female some male attributes. So, none is a perfect male/female. Or in other words, every individual has some male+female characteristics which they supplement for one another. Thus, a right match shall be supplementing common attributes of each other and complement the other attributes. Since, common attributes are of small nature as compared to the non-common attributes of the two, it may be perceived that men and women have their exclusive characteristics and they complement each other. 


Women are tender - physically and emotionally while the men are harsh both ways. Tenderness is necessary for happiness while harshness is required for facing dangers to survival. Thus, both of these attributes are needed for survival of humanity with happiness in the crude regime of nature. No one - men or women, can survive happily without the other.  Same logic holds good for other complementary attributes of man and woman. 


Thus, in characteristics which are common in both man and woman, they supplement each other while in others they complement each other's deficiency. Couples with similar supplementary attributes pull on well with each other, otherwise they fell apart. Thus, supplementary attributes play more important role in establishing harmony within the couple.