“I’m quite happy being single.”
Katherine Kelly, Actress
Pros and Cons of Being Single vs. Relationships
Many people in our nowadays society live in a relationship.
However, many of them don’t seem to be quite happy.
While it is in line with our social norms to be in a relationship, many people would be far better off with being single.
If you currently ask yourself whether you want to be in a relationship or rather want to be single, this article is for you.
I discuss all the pros and cons of being single vs. relationships in the following.
Audio Lesson
Contents
Advantages of Being Single vs. Being in a Relationship
- Being single gives you access to different partners
- Being single allows you a higher level of freedom
- You are more flexible compared to when you are in a relationship
- You can follow your passion
- Being single allows you to work quite hard
- Quality of sleep can be much higher
- Stress levels may be lower
- You don’t have to take care of your partner’s problems
- It is not in line with human nature to stay with one partner for a lifetime
- Being single allows you to travel
- You can save money by being single instead of being in a relationship
- Many people in relationships are unhappy anyway
- You can grow in character
- People will take more care of themselves while they are single
- You can learn how to deal with frustration
- Most relationships don’t last long anyway
- Your relationship should not be the focus of your life
- Chances are that you will have more time for your friends
- You will learn how to be independent
- No need for jealousy
Being single gives you access to different partners
One important advantage of being single is that you can go out and date other people without then need to cheat.
In fact, while you are single, you can meet up with everyone you want without having to care about a partner waiting at home for you. Let’s be honest.
Also most people who are currently in a relationship need some change from time to time and want to meet up with other mates.
However, they will simply not be allowed to do so since they are in a monogamous relationship.
Thus, being single can be quite helpful in this regard and you should definitely frequent the local dating market or also engage in online dating if you are single right now.
Being single allows you a higher level of freedom
In general, while you are single, you will also have a much higher level of freedom.
In fact, you can do whatever you want to do as long as it is inside legal frameworks.
In contrast, while you are in a relationship, you will always have to make compromises with your partner since your interests and preferences will simply not always be aligned.
Consequently, the level of freedom you experience when you are single is enormous and you should definitely use your time for the things you love to do in life.
You are more flexible compared to when you are in a relationship
Another benefit of being single is that you will be much more flexible compared to a state when you are in a relationship.
For instance, say you wake up early in the morning on a Saturday and want to do something exciting.
If you are single, you are just ready to go and do it.
However, if you are in a relationship, you will often not have this level of flexibility since you may have to ask your partner and your partner will often not be interested to follow you on your spontaneous trips.
Therefore, also in case you are a rather spontaneous person who loves to have a high level of flexibility in your life, chances are that you will also be better off single compared to staying in a relationship.
You can follow your passion
Being single also allows you to follow your passion. In fact, many people who are currently in relationships just live for their partner and do whatever he or she wants to make him or her happy.
However, in my opinion, this is quite sad and should not be the way to go if you want to have a happy and fulfilled life.
In fact, if you want to follow your passion, your partner will often be a burden and will hold you back when you try to achieve your dreams.
Thus, if you currently urgently want to make a change in life, being single could be much more beneficial to reach your new goals compared to staying in a relationship.
Being single allows you to work quite hard
Another upside of being single is that you can also work quite hard on your goals.
In fact, if you want to start a business or want to go for a demanding corporate career, chances are that you will have to work long hours every day in order to be successful.
However, working long hours can be problematic in case you have a partner back home who is waiting for you and who is not that patient.
Hence, also in order to achieve success in the corporate or business world, being single can give you an important edge in this regard.
Quality of sleep can be much higher
Many people in our current state of the world also suffer from sleeping problems.
While one main reason can be stress, another reason can be that your partner is snoring.
In fact, snoring is a big problem in relationships since it can greatly affect the sleep of your partner in an adverse manner.
Consequently, if you are currently staying with a partner who snores and keeps you awake at night, you may also want to consider being single again or at least wear earplugs in order to improve your overall sleeping quality.
Stress levels may be lower
Many people who currently are in relationships also suffer from quite high stress levels.
In fact, many people work in demanding jobs for long hours and when they come back home, they also have to deal with several other issues in their private life.
Thus, if you currently suffer from excessive stress and feel like you burn out, you may want to try to be single for a while and see whether your emotional state improves or not.
You don’t have to take care of your partner’s problems
If you are in a relationship, you will also have to take care of your partner’s problems.
Especially if you have a partner who is in trouble of various sorts all the time, this can be quite annoying and also exhausting.
In fact, if you are in a relationship with a partner who has too many problems, this is never a good thing since your partner’s problems will become your problems sooner or later.
Therefore, make sure to choose your partner wisely or even stay single in order to avoid being confronted with those additional problems.
It is not in line with human nature to stay with one partner for a lifetime
In general, we as humans have not evolved to stay with just one partner for a lifetime.
In fact, our remote ancestors had multiple partners and our monogamous relationships that are the social norm in many countries all over the world are a rather recent phenomenon.
Consequently, being single and dating multiple people can also be considered as natural from an evolutionary perspective.
Being single allows you to travel
Being single can also be quite beneficial for you in terms of traveling.
In fact, if you have a partner, it will be much harder for you to travel since you will always have to align your vacation with the vacation opportunities of your partner.
In fact, it can be quite difficult to find times where both of you can take time off from work for your travels.
Thus, being single makes it also much easier for you to see various parts of our beautiful planet.
You can save money by being single instead of being in a relationship
Relationships can also be quite costly. In fact, in most relationships, there is one partner who pays for most things and another partner who wants to profit from the relationship in a financial manner.
Thus, if you are the one who pays for everything in your relationships since you are the person who earns more money than your partner, you may also consider being single for a while in order to save plenty of money that could be much better spent on your passions.
Many people in relationships are unhappy anyway
You may not see it on their social media profiles or while you are with them, but many couples out there are indeed quite unhappy.
In fact, while many people claim to have happy relationships, the opposite is true in many cases.
This is quite logical since in our nowadays society, people want to explore new things and having a partner confines you in your overall level of freedom quite a lot.
You can grow in character
If you are single, you can also really grow in character.
In fact, I made some of my most exciting and helpful experiences when I was alone.
This is quite logical since only if you are alone, you can focus 100% on yourself and can figure out your strengths and weaknesses.
You will also be much better able to figure out what you really want to do with your life in a quiet atmosphere compared to a state where you always have a partner around you.
People will take more care of themselves while they are single
Another advantage of the single life is that you will likely also care more about your appearance and about your nutrition compared to a state where you are in a relationship.
In fact, many studies have shown that people who are in relationships become lazy and don’t exercise too much anymore.
This is quite logical since once people find a partner, they feel like they locked down each other and don’t have to stay too attractive anymore.
However, if you let yourself go, this can be quite detrimental for your health and also for your overall quality of life.
You can learn how to deal with frustration
Being single has not only upsides.
From time to time, singles will also be quite frustrated since they feel like they should have a partner instead of staying alone all day long.
However, while the feeling related to it may not be pleasant, it may still help you to learn how to deal with frustration in life, which is crucial to become stronger as a person.
Most relationships don’t last long anyway
While in former times, relationships were often meant to last many years or even a lifetime, the same is no longer true in our current state of the world.
In fact, many relationships end quite soon and in my opinion, you should rather spend your time on yourself in order to become a better version of yourself instead of sacrificing plenty of time and money for your relationship which will likely end pretty soon anyway.
Your relationship should not be the focus of your life
In general, don’t make the huge mistake and make your relationship the focus of your life.
Honestly, don’t do it! If you put all your eggs in one basket and just live for your relationship, you will often suffer quite a lot once the relationship ends and many people are not able to deal with it in an emotionally healthy manner.
Instead, try to be single or at least keep yourself enough options so that your happiness does not depend on your relationship in an unhealthy manner.
Chances are that you will have more time for your friends
If you are single and don’t have a partner, you will also have much more time to spend with your friends.
In fact, if you are in a relationship, you will often not have too much time for other private things anymore, which can be quite sad if you have to let people go that you have known for many years or even decades.
You will learn how to be independent
In general, another major chance of being single is that you can learn how to become independent.
In fact, if you have nobody who takes care of your problems, you will have to solve your problems yourself.
While this can be challenging and frightening at first, it will benefit you in the long run since only if you are an independent person, you will have the power to do what you want with your life.
No need for jealousy
If you are in a relationship, the feeling of jealousy is likely quite familiar to you.
In fact, many people fear losing their partner and are not able to handle jealousy and emotions too well.
However, if you are single, you will not have to worry about jealousy at all since you will not have to worry about losing a partner you don’t even have in your life.
Disadvantages of Being Single vs. Relationships
- Singles often feel lonely
- Social pressure can be enormous
- You need a partner if you want to have kids
- Many people feel like there is something missing when they are single
- Lack of intimacy can be a problem
- You can’t share rent with another person
- You don’t have a shoulder to cry on
- You can’t share your experiences with your mate
- People may get socially isolated over time
- Mental problems related to being single
- Sometimes life is easier with a partner
Singles often feel lonely
While there are many advantages of being single, there are also some downsides related to this concept.
In fact, one problem with being single is that you will often feel quite lonely.
However, this also depends on the type of person you are.
Many people can handle loneliness quite well and actually like to be in this place.
Others can’t deal with loneliness at all. Hence, you have to know for yourself what kind of person you are and whether you can handle loneliness well or not.
Social pressure can be enormous
Another disadvantage of being single is that the social pressure related to it can be enormous.
In fact, many parents expect their kids to marry and to get children at a certain age.
Thus, if you rather want to stay single and don’t want to participate in all those things, be prepared that you will also have to deal with plenty of social pressure over time, especially when you get older and your chances to reproduce decrease every day.
You need a partner if you want to have kids
Also if you urgently want to have kids, having a partner on your side is crucial.
While there are methods that enable you to have kids without the need of having a partner, it has still been proven by many studies that children who grow up in a household with a male and female parent will have the best chances to succeed in life.
Thus, in case you plan to have kids, you also want to build a long-term relationship.
Many people feel like there is something missing when they are single
Another downside of being single is that many people simply feel like there is something missing in their lives.
In fact, if you hang out with people who are in relationships and you are the only person who is single, this can be emotionally challenging and many people are just not able to deal with this situation in an emotionally healthy manner.
Hence, if you are one of those people who feel like there is something missing in your life, you may also want to look out for a relationship and see if you feel better with it.
Lack of intimacy can be a problem
Another issue with being single is that you will also suffer from a lack of intimacy.
In fact, the physical part of relationships plays a major role in the happiness and satisfaction of many people and this may be missing for you when you are single.
Sure, you can go out and find other partners. However, you may not be aligned with those short-term partners on an emotional and intimate level too much.
You can’t share rent with another person
Being single can also have financial downsides.
In fact, you will not be able to share rent and utility costs with another person and will have to pay everything by yourself.
This can be quite costly in the long run and therefore, relationships can also make sense if you want to save plenty of money on rent.
You don’t have a shoulder to cry on
Many people are also quite insecure and need a shoulder to cry on in difficult periods of their lives.
However, if you are single, you will often not have someone who will be there for you in those times and who can emotionally support you.
Therefore, if you are one of those people who need emotional support quite often, staying in a relationship may also be helpful for you in this regard.
You can’t share your experiences with your mate
We as humans are social creatures and want to share our nice experiences with other people.
In fact, it can be quite nice to share your experiences with your partner every day.
However, if you are single, you will not have this opportunity.
Sure, you can share your experiences with your family and friends, yet it might not give you the same level of satisfaction compared to sharing your experiences with your partner.
People may get socially isolated over time
Some people who are single also don’t go out to bars and clubs anymore.
Instead, they often just stay at home and spend their time on other things.
However, this can lead to serious social isolation over time and chances are that without sufficient human contact, those people will also suffer quite a lot on an emotional level.
Mental problems related to being single
In fact, some people who can’t maintain relationships also suffer from serious mental problems since they feel like they lose in life.
Thus, if you are one of those people who suffer from mental issues if you are single, you may want to get into a relationship to just feel better.
However, you should also figure out why you are not happy with being single in order to really grow as a person in the long run.
Sometimes life is easier with a partner
In general, life can just be much easier if you have a partner on your side.
This is especially true in case you find a partner with whom you can be a good team and who helps you to achieve your goals in life.
Top 10 Being Single Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Being Single Pros | Being Single Cons |
|---|---|
| Being single can make you more relaxed | Being single can be lonely |
| You can do what you want | Many singles get depressed over time |
| You don’t have to compromise | Being single can lead to social isolation |
| Being single can let you grow in character | Social pressure of being single can be huge |
| Being single helps you follow your passion | Lack of intimacy |
| You may sleep better | Mental problems |
| It allows you to work quite hard | You can’t share experiences with a partner |
| Many people are unhappy in relationships | You don’t have a shoulder to cry on |
| You will have more time for your friends | You can’t share your rent |
| No reason to be jealous | Many singles feel that something is missing |
Relationships vs. Being Single – Which One Is Better?
As we have seen before, there are many advantages and disadvantages of being single compared to being in a relationship.
In my opinion, far too many people rely on relationships.
In fact, in my opinion, it would be far better for those people to spend their time and money on their dreams instead of putting all their effort into relationships that will likely end rather soon anyway.
Sources
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/relationship-help.htm
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/relationship-tips-couples-often-forget.html
https://www.loveisrespect.org/healthy-relationships/
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these issues.
As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of research in the field of Development Economics.
After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of our beautiful planet.
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