My fiance is an opera singer and I research heavy metal culture. The common ground we've found is not to simply say, "I hate this or that," but to ask why the other person likes or dislikes a piece. By doing this, we've both gained better understanding of one another and have had to develop a better understanding of our own taste.

There are areas we don't really drag one another into. She doesn't drag me to Brahms performances and I don't bring her to GWAR shows. However, by being open to one another's tastes, we've both grown as people. She loves Mike Patton and I've found very intense composers who I greatly enjoy.

It's true -- my girlfriend and I fell in love over our musical conversations, recollections of shows, record collections -- basically over the very important (first date) question, "what's in your ipod?"
This is on par for relationship success with cooking and food. We both have adventurous and broad tastes and interests, and don't agree on everything 100%, but the stuff that really matters is common. We challenge and introduce each other to new stuff all the time.
This was an interesting program, only I'm slightly bent over two things Ms. Salie tossed off: 1, That a red flag consists of admitting to liking "Atlas Shrugged" and "Catcher in the Rye". I totally get the revulsion to Rand, but is Salinger favored by teabaggers? Does the face that I enjoy that read make me a potential celebrity stalker / murderer? 2, She flippantly claims The Beatles and the soundtrack to "Hair" are basically the same thing. What?

There's nothing wrong with Steely Dan or the Catcher in the Rye. I like both these things. My world wouldn't end without these things. But I could never be in a relationship with someone who dislikes them, or at least has no tolerance for them. I will admit it's a personality indicator....It's you, not me.