Let's be honest: being single is difficult, especially if you are in your thirties. As Emma Watson told Vogue UK: ?? If you don't have a family, a spouse, a baby when you're in your thirties; if you are not in a comfortable career position; if you're still finding yourself, all of this causes unimaginable anxiety. ?And if Emma Watson is feeling bad, everyone else?
Society tells us that especially women must have someone on their side before they are thirty. And even if we know that these rules are ridiculous and do not apply, the pressure affects our lives. With a little time and reflection, Watson learned to be happy alone - or as she calls it, "her partner." But can anyone be happy alone?
Surprisingly, scientific studies come to conflicting conclusions about the happiness that married or single people experience. A 2019 study by the UK Office of National Statistics found that married people were happier than themselves, divorced, separated and single.
Also in May 2019, behavioral scientist Paul Dolan stated that his latest study proved that married women were less happy than single women. ?We have data that has been studying the same people over the years, but I will ignore and simplify the expected conclusion: if you are a man, get married; if you're a woman, don't get in the way, "he said at Britain's Hay Festival, reported by The Guardian.
Men benefit more from marriage because they "soften," he said. ?They take fewer risks, gain more jobs and live a little longer. The woman, on the other hand, must endure all this and die sooner than she would have died had she not been married. The happiest and healthiest subgroup of the population are women who never married and never had children, ?said Dolan.
In her book "Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living," sociologist Elyakim Kislev did not simply ask that single people are happier than married ones, but studied the circumstances that made them happy. Kislev found that happy bachelors over 30 spent more time with friends, family and colleagues; they enjoyed their work; were optimistic about life 'and felt more accomplished than unhappy single men. Happy single women also valued more freedom, creativity, and new experiences.
Although these factors also affect the happiness of married people, for single people, the effects were more significant. As Psychoogy Today reports, "In every circumstance, single people experienced more happiness from society, work, principles, and positive perceptions of themselves than married people."
If you are single and not satisfied with your status, this article is not worth it. But looking at Kieslev's study of the circumstances that make single people happy may give you a bit of humor. You can focus on relationships with friends and family, try new hobbies and give your best at work.
Adapted from Refinery29
