For many singles, life without a partner does not feel in any way like a smaller life. In fact, in many ways, like these, they believe it's even more expansive.
I’m wondering what the intention is of this investigation and how we may explore this further to inform, understand paradigms for our 21st century. Especially what a healthy relationship life may look like today and how we could recognise from this what is unhealthy, damaging for all of us. Career and work patterns have changed dramatically this past century and we are accepting several career changes, nigh embracing this and accepting many various jobs in a lifetime. What about rekationships? We must catch up!
Kellz P.
3w
I love it personally...it is liberating & gives plenty of space to work on oneself & the parts that need healing without needing that external superficial validation of having someone just to have someone...I found being on my own is nowhere near as lonesome nor confining overall as having the wrong people in my life...
Robert M.
3w
Being alone can be emotionally challenging on holidays and in the face of adversity and I do feel lonely from time to time but the vast majority of the time having the freedom to love and nurture myself and work on healing is wonderful. After giving all of myself to a long marriage with children the contrast certainly gives being alone a much needed balance of perspective. Life is full of compromises and trade offs through which we learn and grow as unique beings. There is no perfect way of being as we strive for a healthy balance that works for us.
Being single was really hard in the beginning because at that time, I really wasn’t striving for anything more in my life other than a partner. Now I have shifted my focus and getting an education and trying to pursue a career that will help others who have struggled with their mental health and other occurrences and every day life Being able to sit and reflect on myself and the things of my life has helped me find a purpose and something to pursue seeing this can really pay off now I am very busy in my life to the point to wear a partner, most likely won’t be a ideal. But for now, this is a great thing!
It's a very different life from being married and having a big family around. But the growth is both surprising and incredible.
Agreed, However, having a life partner would be nice too.
Excellent points. I have several single friends who have a more expansive experience in life than many and I actively seek ways to build them up, recognizing that their singleness isn’t a deficit or deficiency in any way. The positive aspects are tremendous.
Donald Ray
3w
Thought-provoking
Good post! Marriage is a beautiful thing but there are some very good ways to connect with yourself and others when single.
Property Portfolio Manager - potentially retired 😃
2wHmm. Maybe it’s different if you have had a relationship break down, but from the perspective of a very unexpected widow, I don’t find it liberating. I didn’t require liberating in the first place as I wasn’t in a relationship of that type. I agree that I would rather be single than settle for the sake of it, but single life is generally boring and much less rich than a good relationship. A lot of single people appear to fill their lives with alternative things that then become their lives and the longer this goes on the less they appear happy to compromise any of that for a partnership. I’d this being healed, or is this something else? I completely accept that there are people who are perfectly happy on their own, but I don’t buy into the idea that for others this is preferable to a healthy relationship, as opposed to a relationship. To have a healthy relationship you have to have left behind the unhealthy one. This means treating a new one as just that, new and not bringing preconceptions with you😀