Reasons To Stay Single

Some people would have you believe that being single is a barrel of laughs. That it really is an ideal state to be in and that there are plenty of reasons to remain that way. Now I will acknowledge that being single definitely does have its perks. You can flirt as much as you want without feeling guilty, you can see whom you want when you want and there are a lot of things in your life you probably won’t have to even consider compromising but are these just the tip of the iceberg?

I recently stumbled across a list called 10 Reasons To Stay Single. There were no numbers anywhere on the list and about 14, for want of a better word, paragraphs so I’m not quite sure exactly what the author thought each of the 10 reasons were. After reading it through twice, I’m not sure she did either. Several of the sentences/paragraphs seemed to be merely variations on a theme but given that, the author does make some very good points.

One of the things I had not previously given much thought to was body image within a relationship. Sure I am aware that many women feel that their ability to catch and/or keep a guy is linked very strongly to their personal appearance but the author suggests that when the only one you have to please is yourself, you become much less of a slave to your looks. She also suggests that some women are more image conscious within a relationship which I guess, aside from being potentially stressful or unhealthy, would also be quite time consuming if personal grooming becomes a necessity rather than a priority.

Another point that the author makes is that your social life is often more diverse when you’re single. People tend to mingle in more circles and meet more different types of people when they are not attached to someone. Of course, this is not always the case and could quite possibly also depend on what you or your partner do for a living. By and large however, couples tend to associate more readily with other couples in their social circle and statistically tend to go out and do it less often than singles do.

So I guess for lots of reasons, being single is not all that bad. Its easier to be spontaneous, carefree, indulgent and decisive. You are more likely to be able to do what you want, when you want and with whom you want. But do these reasons outweigh the physical intimacy and comfort you receive from someone who knows where you come from, who you are and where you’re going? For my money not really but I’ll definitely try to enjoy what I’ve got while I have it.