What is the Pickle Relationship Theory from TikTok?

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Everything you need to know about how pickles relate to compatibility

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA Reviewed by John Keegan

Last Updated: April 7, 2025 Fact Checked

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What is the pickle theory?

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Origins

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Is it accurate?

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Compatibility Resources

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Video

The pickle theory is a big dill with couples on TikTok right now, especially those who are interested in measuring their relationship compatibility. 🥒 This concept is fun and interesting to think about—but is it really the best way to measure how ideal or successful your relationship is? We explore the answer to that question and explain the meaning and origins of the pickle theory in the article below!

Pickle Theory Meaning

The pickle theory suggests that two people have a perfect relationship if one of them loves pickles and the other hates them. While a fun idea, it isn't a very good metric for compatibility. There are many more important things couples should align on, regardless of their feelings about pickles.

Section 1 of 4:

What is the pickle theory in relationships?

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The pickle theory claims that in a great relationship, one person loves pickles and the other hates them. According to pickle theory, this makes a couple the perfect match. The reason they're the ideal couple, some say, is because the person who hates pickles always gives their pickles to their partner because of how much they love them. This is supposed to reflect the way the couple complements one another and lovingly does things for each other in all aspects of their relationship.
- This theory also predicts that two pickle lovers in the same relationship won't last. Neither will two pickle haters.
- It's also a similar idea to the "opposites attract" theory, which is based on the fact that in science, opposite forces are often drawn together. People with opposite personality traits can sometimes have a long-lasting relationship (platonic or romantic) if those traits are complementary and they're each willing to compromise.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 4:

Origins of the Pickle Theory

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The pickle theory was popularized on TikTok to predict relationship success. In many pickle theory TikTok videos from 2024 (when the trend took off), creators typically film themselves sharing a meal with their partner with the caption "the pickle theory" and a ♥️ emoji. In others, the creator films themselves explaining the pickle theory and explaining how it perfectly describes their relationship with their significant other.
- In the videos where the partners share a meal, one person gives their pickles to the other, implying that they hate pickles, but they know their other half loves them (like in this TikTok from @ssloveship or this one from @secretdaisyshh).
- Playing over the video is a quote from the popular sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, in which the main character discusses the olive theory and how it applies to his friends, who are a couple.
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It originally comes from the olive theory from How I Met Your Mother. The olive theory — which is the same as the pickle theory, but with olives — was first mentioned in the pilot episode of the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The main character, Ted, explains to his love interest Robin his theory that in a great relationship, one person loves olives and the other person hates them. He uses his friends Marshall and Lilly, who are a romantic couple, as an example.^{[2]
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Section 3 of 4:

Is the pickle theory accurate?

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If you and your partner both love or hate pickles, that doesn't mean you can't have a great relationship. On the other hand, even if you hate pickles and your partner loves them (or vice versa), it doesn't automatically mean you're going to be together forever. It's best to look at how you're compatible in other, more important areas, such as shared values, interests, politics, or temperament.^{[3]
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