The idea of affinity is associated with closeness or attraction.
Affinity is the closeness, similarity or approximation that exists between two things. The term came into our language from the Latin word affinĭtas .
For example: “There is an affinity between blues and country that is noticeable” , “The ideological affinity of the three most important candidates is evident” , “I do not find an affinity between the principles of these religious groups” .
Affinity in a relationship
The idea of affinity is also used to name the attraction that is registered between two individuals based on common interests : “It seems to me that there is an affinity between Pablo and Hernán” , “We go out several times, but we have no affinity” , “We barely have any affinity”. "We met, we realized the affinity that existed between us."
In a relationship between two or more people, affinity is essential for it to grow, unless it is a purely commercial or circumstantial link , such as the one that takes place between neighbors of a community or that of the employees of a company. same office, for example. We can say that affinity is one of the essential components for the members of a relationship to commit to getting more involved every day.
Common interests generate affinity.
The differences
If there are no common interests or tastes between two people, it is more difficult for either of them to want to adapt and learn to appreciate those of their partner, although this does not mean that it is impossible. In any case, affinity is much more than sympathy for the same music group , especially when the context in which it is analyzed is life as a couple.
One of the points that sometimes goes unnoticed in modern societies is the set formed by the ideologies and principles that move us, that series of unbreakable ideas on which we rely and that speak of who we are and who we aspire to be, much more than our favorite music band.
Let's take the case of a couple in which both people enjoy the same hobbies, admire the same artists in film and the world of music, practice the same sport and even study the same career. At first glance we could say that they are the living representation of coincidence, and this would lead us to think that their affinity is insurmountable.
However, if one of the two were an animalist and the other a bullfighter, there would be no possible relationship, since one would support equality between all living beings while the other would consider that animals are objects placed at our disposal to do with them. whatever we please. It is not possible to share life with someone who differs in something as basic as their conception of rights, and that is why it is not enough to analyze the tastes of two people to determine their degree of affinity.
Affinity in sociology, law and chemistry
For sociology , affinity arises from ideas and principles that are shared and that contribute to cohesion in a community. From this closeness, affinity groups are formed, composed of individuals who act together according to their common interests.
In the field of law , affinity is a type of kinship that arises from the establishment of a legal bond through marriage . This is a political relationship : there is no consanguinity between relatives. The four in-laws of a heterosexual couple, to cite one case, that is, the father and mother of the woman and the father and mother of the man who marry, establish a bond by affinity (they become in-laws).
If we focus on chemistry , affinity is the tendency of molecules and atoms to establish combinations with each other.