14 Important Relationship Lessons From Season 2 Of “Love Is Blind”, Netflix’s Hit Reality Dating Show

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By Rachel Yohannan on 21 Mar 2022

Senior Digital Editor

Out of all the other dating shows that have aired over the years, there has arguably been none like Netflix’s “Love Is Blind”. For those who don’t know - the show involves a series of blind dates in pods, where participants can’t see members of the opposite gender at all. Relying only on their voices, they attempt to form solid connections over the span of 10 days, before proposing/being proposed to, sight unseen.

The reveal only happens after a proposal is accepted, and couples who pass that stage end up going on a mini “honeymoon” of sorts - during which they’ll meet the other couples, including other people they “dated” in the pods - before living together for a couple of weeks leading up to the wedding. On the big day, those who make it down the aisle can choose to say “I do”...or “I don’t”.

More than just the drama or romantic fairytale endings, there are plenty of lessons on relationships and love one can glean from Season 2 of the hit reality series - whether you’re single, in a relationship, or in a “complicated” situationship. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

Read on for “Love Is Blind” Season 2 love lessons!

#1: It’s OK to have a “type” and not feel attracted to someone

Photo from Netflix

Like it or not, love isn’t always truly blind. While physical attraction isn’t everything, it’s still an important part of any relationship, and something you cannot force. Let’s be honest; How many of us have friendzoned someone just because we didn’t find them attractive?

For LIB contestant Abhishek Chatterjee (known as "Shake"), this was something he struggled with constantly with his fiancée Deepti Vempati. Though they seemed to have a strong connection and deep love for each other, with him even referring to her as his “best friend”, his lack of physical attraction towards her resulted in a rift in their relationship.

“I just don’t feel that animalistic instinctual attraction y'know. It’s like I'm with a family member.”

At the risk of sounding superficial, I’m gonna agree with Public Enemy #1 on this and say that there’s nothing wrong with having a “type”. Choosing not to be with a person because you aren’t crazy about their looks? Perfectly fine. Some can overlook such things, others can’t - it all depends on what an individual can accept, and you don’t have to allow others to impose their ideals on you.

But this brings us to the next point…

#2: But you don’t have to be a jerk about it and make hurtful comments

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Shake got everyone shookt not because of what he felt about Deepti, but because of the way he went about the whole situation. To put things bluntly - he was a total jerk about it, talking about her behind her back not just to the camera but to the rest of their cast mates, so much so that the other guys pulled Deepti aside and warned her against marrying him. And even host Vanessa Lachey ended up admonishing him during the messy reunion episode.

On camera, he made comments like how Deepti reminds him of his aunt, but it’s been unanimous among the cast that the tons of other comments he made that didn’t make the final edit were way worse. We can only imagine.

#3: The right person will be patient and supportive as you work out insecurities

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Many individuals entered the show as people with various insecurities and past trauma. For Iyana McNeely, it was her rough childhood, experiences in foster care, and history of assault, while fiancé Jarrett Jones was previously brutally stabbed by someone who was meant to be a close friend.

Despite their tough pasts, they supported each other through bad days and moments of insecurity, and beat the odds to become one of the two couples who ended up getting married at the end of the show.

#4: Own up when you mess up

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Fan favourite couple Jarrette and Iyana’s relationship hadn’t always been smooth-sailing. Jarrette was initially torn between Iyana and Mallory Zapata, and first proposed to the latter, who rejected him for Salvadore Perez. He later reevaluated his choices, and decided to go for Iyana instead.

When the cast met in person for the first time, Jarrette and Mallory had a one-on-one conversation about Mallory’s ring, which wasn’t gold, unlike what she wanted - something Jarrette knew because he asked about her preferences back in the pods. They even called each other pet names! Jeez.

During the reunion, Jarrette took full responsibility for the situation, calling the conversation “inappropriate” and saying that it should never have happened or at least “could have been tailored differently.

We love how he put his ego aside, bit the bullet, and owned up for his mistakes.

#5: Just because you weren’t someone’s first, doesn’t mean you can’t be their best

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So about that Jarrette-Mallory-Iyana thing - Iyana did feel a little insecure at the start, and was worried she’d feel like a “second choice” next to Mallory. However, her feelings for Jarrette trumped any of that, and she delightedly accepted his proposal.

Over the next couple of weeks, Iyana did bring up these insecurities a couple of times, emphasising how she wasn’t his only one at the start. But through his actions, Jarrette proved that he was serious about making things work, and that Iyana was truly the only one for him from the moment they got engaged. At the altar, he said “I do” not once but thrice, and later on told the cameras that he was “on top of the world”, on “cloud nine”.

We’re glad that the couple managed to leave their past behind them and move forward with new adventures together! This just proves that just because there was someone else before you, doesn’t mean the love your significant other has for you isn’t any less valid or sincere.

#6: Dealbreakers won't disappear if you sweep them under the rug

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He was an atheist. She was a Christian. Can I make it any more obvious?

Moving on to another much talked-about couple, Shaina Hurley and Kyle Abrams. One of the most glaring differences between them was their views on religion. Both were firm on their standpoints, but still went forward with the relationship despite clashing points of view, and convinced themselves that they’d work it out as they went along.

However, the issue never did go away, and this became even more apparent when Kyle visited Shaina’s ultra-Christian family. To say that they weren’t thrilled about Kyle’s atheist status was an understatement, and Shaina eventually packed her bags and broke things off with him after their holiday in Mexico.

It’s important to not sweep potential dealbreakers under the carpet, for they’ll re-surface eventually and be a persistent problem throughout the relationship. It’s best to work out a viable compromise right from the start, or cut your losses right away.

#7: Communication and good listening are key, especially during arguments

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Those who’ve watched the show would see the countless number of times Danielle Ruhl and Nick Thompson got into little spats and disagreements with each other - and many viewers were surprised that they made it this far (and are still married at time of writing!) despite their seemingly rocky start.

The key to their successful relationship? Communication - especially during heated arguments. According to Nick, “One of the things that we’ve learned...is to listen more and talk less. One of my faults is I’m a fixer - when there’s a problem, I go into fix mode." On the other hand, Danielle is someone who often just needs a listening ear and wants her feelings to be heard when she’s feeling upset.

#8: Get to know your partner’s world and strike a healthy balance together

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Remember the look on Nick’s face when Danielle talked about having crazy dance parties at home - including one where her friends broke her table by dancing on it - and brought out silly food costumes? Yup, the guy was freaking out right there, for sure.

But now that they’re happily married, Nick apparently wears the costumes and dances on the table more than Danielle does. Even their respective pets - Nick’s dog and Danielle’s cat - are learning to get along, living in Nick’s apartment where they’ve all moved in together. It's really no big relationship secret; To quote Danielle, “We figured it all out. Compromise, compromise.”

Likewise, Jarrette is extroverted while Iyana likes staying at home. This was brought up as a potential problem, but they’ve since struck a healthy balance as a married couple, where Iyana does tag along with Jarrette on outings with friends, while Jarrette on the other hand has now learnt to better appreciate spending quiet quality time together at home. Aww.

#9: Understand each other’s Love Languages so you can provide what the other needs

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It’s become clear quite early on in the show that Shayne Jansen’s Love Language is Words of Affirmation, as he was always seen fishing for compliments from fiancée Natalie Lee, asking questions like, “Do you think I’m pretty?” However, instead of uttering what Shayne wanted to hear, Natalie often showed her love in the form of playful teasing and sarcasm, which made him feel like he “wasn’t good enough”.

At the end of the day it isn’t about having the same Love Language as your partner, but rather, understanding their needs and trying to cater to them. Everyone gives and receives love in different ways, and not having a fundamental understanding of this can result in one feeling unloved, or having their intentions and actions misconstrued.

While you’re here, check out our article on the 5 do’s and don’ts of each Love Language to help improve your relationship.

#10: You deserve someone who’s 100% sure about you

Photo from Netflix

It was a bit of a shocker when Deepti turned Shake down at the altar, as she had been portrayed in the show as being all in and ready to get married. But standing in front of family and friends, she said, "I hope you know how much you mean to me, and the impact you've made on my life. But no, I cannot marry you. I deserve somebody that knows for sure. So I'm choosing myself, and I'm going to say no."

She later on told the camera in private that he’s not “The One”, because he never made her feel that way about him.

Even Shake’s own mother had the same thoughts. During a heart-to-heart talk, he told her that he wasn’t entirely sure about marrying Deepti, whom he didn’t feel attracted to. In response, she said, "Being very frank, I'm very much identifying with her right now more than you. She could find someone who absolutely loves her the way she is. She's a wonderful person. She doesn't deserve someone who gives her even half a percent less."

Remember, if someone doesn’t love you for who you are, they’re undeserving of all the good you have to offer.

#11: Likewise, don’t jump into something if you’re having doubts

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Partly due to their religious differences, Shaina knew that she was having big reservations about Kyle, yet still accepted his proposal. Kyle was thus under the (false) impression that they’d figure out stuff together, but clearly they weren’t on the same page.

Shaina apologised during the reunion and said that she should never have accepted Kyle’s proposal despite her hesitation. “I completely regret that because I could have avoided a lot of further messiness and drama. I'm working on it. And it goes back to my people-pleasing and I didn't want to hurt him. And at the end of the day, he ended up getting hurt."

And as for Kyle? “I have a great deal of regret. My biggest regret is that I should have proposed to Deepti sooner.” Oof.

#12: Settling for “second choice” is a terrible way to get over someone else

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Okay, so perhaps Shaina wasn’t just having doubts about Kyle because of religion alone; She also very much still had eyes for Shayne, despite it already being clear that he and Natalie were an item. But later on in the show, it was apparent that she still had strong feelings for Shayne - all while being engaged to Kyle. Big yikes. As we all know by now, she later on ended up hurting poor Kyle’s feelings.

If this teaches us anything, it’s that settling for the next available choice is a terrible way to cope with heartbreak. Move on and get your emotions in check first, before going with someone new, lest you end up hurting more than just yourself in the process.

#13: Third parties won’t get in the way if your relationship is strong and true

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Second to Shake, Shaina was probably one of the least liked members on the show for audiences watching back home due to her brazenness with the whole Shayne situation. She went so far as to say, “Regardless of him deciding to marry Natalie, I’m here to find my husband, not to take a back seat to Natalie with her feelings for Shane.”

In fact, during the beach party, she even pulled Shayne aside, made her feelings known, and told Shayne that she thought his relationship with Natalie was “fake” - all while Natalie was just a couple of metres away with the rest of the cast. The nerve!

Photo from Netflix

Much to everyone’s relief, Shayne didn’t budge, and continued to work on his relationship with Natalie without Shaina as a distraction. This just goes to show that if your relationship is strong enough, other factors such as third parties will be a non-issue.

#14: Personal unresolved emotional issues can potentially ruin things

Photo from Netflix

Many viewers have commented on how Shayne seems to have serious anger issues, where the littlest of things set him off in the biggest of ways. The day before the wedding, the pair had a huge fight, with Shayne telling her in a fit of anger that he hated her and that she was the worst thing that had happened to him.

While Shayne said “I do” on the big day, Natalie noped outta there, as she hadn’t been able to get over the fight. We can only speculate about what went down on the fateful night before, but one thing’s for certain: Personal unresolved emotional issues can ruin something good. In Shayne’s case, it was his rash temper and hurtful use of words that led to huge regrets.

Work on yourself first before diving into a serious relationship, so you can be a better and constantly improving version of yourself for your partner. In the words of RuPaul, “If you don't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”