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Why you should wait for The One, according to a new study on birds
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A new study that looked specifically mating habits of birds may teach you something about waiting for The One. - photo by Herb Scribner
Theres a new scientific study that says waiting for The One makes the most sense for human evolution.

The study recently published in PLOS Biology which focused on the mating habits of a number of different birds found that birds who chose their mates produced 37 percent more offspring than the birds who were put in an arranged pairing.

Even more, birds who freely chose their mates were better at raising their chicks, the study said.

We found that pairs from both treatments showed equal rates of embryo mortality, but chosen pairs were better at raising offspring, the study said.

Though the study focused on birds, it may have ramifications for humans, too, since humans and birds both choose their mates based on who they feel they are most compatible with, according to IFL Science.

And, just like the zebra finches, different people are attracted to, and compatible with, different partners, IFL Science reported. It is therefore likely that our own mate choice behaviours, including dating and breaking up, are part of an evolved strategy to find a compatible partner, who would (at least in evolutionary history) improve our reproductive success.

In other words, it makes evolutionary sense to wait for The One.

So if you havent found The One yet, dont despair, according to IFL Science. Evolutionary biology suggests its worth the time and effort spent searching.

But theres long been a debate about whether or not people should wait for The One. For example, David Wygant, a dating and relationship coach, wrote for The Huffington Post that The One is a myth and doesnt exist for most daters.

You need to realize quickly, that for most people, the Disney fantasy you're looking for doesn't exist. Now, think about your friends who are married, how many of them are in amazing marriages with The One,' Wygant wrote.

Writer Heidi Priebe said something similar in her Thought Catalog piece, explaining people waste too much time searching for The One they miss out on best parts of life.

Its not exactly easy to find The One, either. YourTango, a website that publishes surveys about relationships, found most daters have a 285,000 to 1 odds of finding The One.

In fact, a 2013 study found 73 percent of people feel their current partner isnt their The One, according to the Daily Mail. And 17 percent of people feel theyve met the love of their life, but arent dating them anymore, Daily Mail reported.

Still, theres been some consensus that The One means different things to different people, according to Stephanie Sarkis, Ph.D. Because people have certain preferences in what they want in a potential spouse, Sarkis recommends people make a list to help them find their One.

Others feel that The One can be someone you never thought it would be. Author Margaret Philbrick wrote for Relevant magazine that lists dont always work for finding The One, and that the love of your life can come when you least expect it.

As you walk into Starbucks to meet the potential person for the first time, approach them with open-hearted faith, rather than a list of criteria you expect them to fulfill, Philbrick wrote.

Its also important to make sure you understand what you want in someone before you start searching for The One, according to an excerpt from Dr. Phil McGraws recent book Love Smart: Find the One You Want Fix The One You Got.

The excerpt explained that once someone makes peace with who they are, theyre more likely to find the love of their life, or at least someone theyll enjoy spending the rest of their life with.

To get where you want to go, youre going to have to rewrite the script of your life and make yourself the star, McGraw wrote. And you have to define who you want to be your leading man. Then youll know exactly who you are and what youre looking for. No more trying to be all things to all people. No more trying to guess what some man wants and struggling to morph yourself into it. You are going to be the best you can be, rather than somebody you are not, and I promise that will be more than enough to create the love you want.

For more on finding The One:

10 things you need to know about finding The One

Where to find the love of your life

12 reactions that perfectly explain what it's like to meet the love of your life
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