Single people have it rough in February.
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, the scramble to find Mr. or Mrs. Right — or even Right Now — is as hot as ever. To spend the holiday alone — amid the showers of PDA, discounted couple's meals, elaborate gifts, inevitable proposals, weddings and the endless photos on social media capturing it all — seems tantamount to turning on a giant neon "Loser" sign. Truthfully, those entrenched in singledom actually know that that's far from the truth, but now there's scientific evidence to support that idea!
According to the "Journal of Social and Personal Relationships," even though marriage is seen as society's happiest ending, single people have better relationships overall.
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The study published in 2015 found, “Single individuals are more likely to frequently stay in touch with, provide help to, and receive help from parents, siblings, neighbors and friends than the married.”
The study also discovered single men and women tended to have more social interactions with people and, therefore, had stronger bonds. While married people have each other, single people have everyone else, and it’s seemingly creating better, intertwined communities.
The researchers found that instead of pushing for more marriages, public policy “acknowledge the social constraints associated with marriage and recognize that single individuals have greater involvement with the broader community.”
According to Indy100, the study lead to a May 2017 TED talk with speaker Bella DePaulo. DePaulo, a doctor of psychology and author, raised the argument that the stories of married people were more likely to be told and promoted in the news and pop culture and even in laws than those who are single. She then delved into the benefits of single life in society saying, "It's the single people who have more friends … who are contributing to the life of their cities." She concluded that happiness doesn't come from marriage, and that single people tend to be "less lonely."
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“With so many big, important components of life available outside of marriage for both women and men, what’s left for people who want marriage to maintain its special place in our lives? One possibility is to insist that there is still one thing we single people can only get by marrying – and that is genuine happiness,” she said.
DePaulo continued, "Now we know that's just not so. And we can all benefit from that. Married people, now that you know some of the secrets of a successful single life, feel free to steal them to add new shades of bliss to your lives. And single people, you know what to do: go out and live your single lives fully, joyfully, and unapologetically."
It seems single people are going to be just fine even if no one sends them a dozen roses or a box of chocolates — and there’s plenty to do on their own.
Cox Media Group
