Being single and being in a relationship

Being single and being in a relationship

In society today, when someone is single, may be described as being alone, or having no one. However, this may not be true in most cases. The societal view of the status of a person may not define the quality of life one has. In this paper, a comparison between Being single and being in a relationship will be made in reference to lifestyle, independence, and companionship.

Comparing lifestyle when single and when in a relationship

Every decision one makes in life comes with a whole package of necessary adjustments. Such adjustments include changing the way of life, and some of the habits considered normal. When single, people think only about themselves and make decisions for one. This may not hold when one enters into a relationship. Any decision made when in a relationship has to put into consideration both parties. The use of ‘ I’ becomes less often while we become more frequent (DePaulo, “Marriage vs. Single Life: How Science and the Media Got It so Wrong”).

Secondly, single people may be less conscious about time when it comes to a fun time with friends. You find them having less to no problems with keeping late nights. Spending the better part of the night partying is common. However, when one goes into a relationship, going out becomes less and prefer to spend more time with each other. Children as well tend to limit the amount of time used for night outs.

Additionally, the idea of going out to the bar, as for most single men, signals the probability of meeting someone new. The ability to meet new people when hanging out with close friends gives added pleasure. This is not the case when a relationship is in question. Going out may mean spending some quality time with a partner but not meeting new people as they have already met ‘the one.’ When one is not in a relationship, the idea of being indoors for long may denote a boring life. Most of them prefer jumping out of the house at any available opportunity than remain at home. This, however, may change, and the once ‘boring life’ becomes excellent. One may comfortably stay indoors for as much time as possible upon entering into a relationship (DePaulo, “Marriage vs. Single Life: How Science and the Media Got It so Wrong”).

Independence

Singles tend to have fewer ties to a particular person and hence able to focus on extending their social networks.  They frequently reach out to their social networks as well. It is out of these relations that they get support and encouragement to keep chasing their interests and dreams. They also tend to be more open to new opportunities and new experiences as well, which is opposed to couples whose life choices tend to be more rigid. They also have the privilege of developing more individually and also have more time to spend alone. This heightens the sense of freedom one has and levels of creativity, making one more productive eventually. The feeling of self-determination in singles is stronger. Growth and development of individuals psychologically tend to be better for the single than for the married.

Being single is said to offer ultimate independence as well as personal space. One gets to focus on own life like education and career without worrying about the disturbances that come along with relationships. One gets to explore more ventures such as traveling as one has freedom. This is not the case when relationships are concerned.

Companionship

Having a partner is often translated to having companionship, but is this the case? It may be or may not be. The single tend to have more friends and more extensive social networks. As such, they do have people they could call upon for help and also a group of close friends with whom they could spend time together and share on different aspects of life. They have more close friends who they could call in times of need and get a response and possibly support (DePaulo, “Toward a Positive Psychology of Single Life”). Hence the idea of being lonely when single may not be valid. They also put more effort into maintaining relationships with relatives, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.  Having such a network and quality time gives them more happiness. This is opposed to Married people or people in relationships who tend to have fewer friends. They are also said to do less to maintain their friends and close relatives (DePaulo, “Toward a Positive Psychology of Single Life”).

People desire to have constant companionships all through their lives. When single, having that person close to share your happiness and sadness all the time may not work, but in a relationship, it does work. Getting into a relationship though, is not a guarantee you will get the company you desire. Instead, being in a healthy relationship provides this. One is assured of someone willing to share your experiences in life with you. One will always have someone to have fun, share successes, celebrate you, and even a shoulder to cry on.

Relationships provide a hand to hold on to during hard times as well as consolation that makes it easier to walk through the struggles until you are back to your feet. One is more likely to get help when needed due to the difference in strengths between spouses. These are privileges single people may not enjoy.

Conclusion

People’s status may dictate their lifestyles. Most of the relationships affect one’s way of life; for instance, a person used to keep late nights is likely to stop that once into a relationship. Spending time with that one person that makes your other half may seem better than spending time in the bar with friends. Similarly, the level of independence varies from single to married in that; single people decide what to do on their own without having to seek the consent of their partner, hence ore likely to try new experiences. The single tend to have more friends and more extensive social networks. As such, they do have people they could call upon for help and also a group of close friends with whom they could spend time together and share on different aspects of life. They have more close friends who they could call in times of need and get a response and possibly support (DePaulo, “Toward a Positive Psychology of Single Life”). Hence the idea of being lonely when single may not hold.