They say there are only 7 people in the world that look like you. If you happen to be a twin or triplet, you’ve not only found one or two of them, but you’ve also found a lifelong friend and soulmate.

If you’re a twin, you’re part of the 3% of the population in the world who is. And if you’re a triplet, then you’re part of that 0.1% of the population, which makes you quite unique and special.

Everyone has different perceptions about what it is to be a twin or a triplet. Many people think that whenever a twin gets hurt, the other one can feel it. Or even, that twins can read each other’s minds. “People assume that because we’re twins, we are basically the same person; when in reality, we both have different personalities and characters,” said Maya Ponce, a fraternal twin.

Gabriel Hernandez, an identical twin, recalls that sometimes he and his twin feel the same emotions towards people, but they never think alike. He wishes that people understood that twins are different individuals and comparing them affects them negatively.

The difference between identical and fraternal twins is that identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg and share the same genes. Fraternal twins develop from two fertilized eggs and their genes are no more similar than those of regular brothers or sisters. Since fraternal twins are from separate eggs, like brothers or sisters from single births, they share only fifty percent of their genes.

Another disadvantage of being a twin, says identical twin Ailen Vila, is people confusing them all the time. Fraternal twin Carolyn Flores says, “Because my sister is 1 minute older, she tries to use that against me when we argue and tells me to listen to her because I’m younger than her.”

Being a triplet also has its advantages. Noelle Garcia, who’s a fraternal triplet, says, “It is like having 2 automatic best friends that come with you when you’re born. We are different people with different views who don’t see eye to eye on everything, but for the most part, it’s great because we’re there for each other.”

Lorena Martinez, an identical triplet, says, “Although there are 3 of us, it’s a mutual relation where we tell each other everything because we’re best friends, but it gets annoying being known as a triplet and being criticized for who we are or how we act.”

Sometimes twins or triplets can use that to their advantage. For Ailin Vila, the best part about being a twin is that they can fool people and even change classes with each other at times.

Fraternal twin Cassandra Flores says that it’s cool to have someone like you and that whenever they pretend to be each other, unless it’s friends, it always works.

Despite the common misconceptions about having to dress or think the same, these lucky twins and triplets know not to take their siblings for granted. “I want people to know that it’s special because there’s someone out there that truly understands me more than I’ll ever understand myself. We were in the womb together, and I don’t think anything else in the entire world beats that,” said Calypso Ponce.

Jayde Garcia, a fraternal triplet, likes that she never has to face anything alone. “We’re not always going to get along and we might be different, but we’ll always be womb mates for life.”