ABSTRACT
There is mystery in what makes people compatible. The mystery only deepens when we consider cases where romantic partners appear perfectly compatible during the initial stage of acquaintance, only to slowly drift apart during the exclusionary stage of ultimate separation. Conditions of competence and compatibility are subject to three broad types of relational consideration: power, affection, and involvement. In general, social sensitivity involves global conceptions of competence and compatibility, whereas emotional sensitivity entails rapid, accurate decoding of another's affect, emotion, mood, and temperament. Careful cultivation of personal aspirations and felt obligations to others requires a great degree of interpersonal sensitivity and mutual responsiveness. Interpersonal sensitivity entails a refined means of accurately sensing other's resources, abilities, and skills from nonverbal cues alone. Interpersonal interdependencies may be rated as more important and with greater source of satisfaction, than what alternative dependent and independent inclinations could possibly withstand.
