Although the stereotype is that of a woman looking desperately for a man because she believes that being married is the only way she’ll be pleased, a recent study found that the reverse might be right, as more women are happy being single compared to men.
This survey, which was done by Mintel, a consumer analysis company, found that 49% of single men were happy being only while 61% of single women were delighted with the same relationship status. In men and women over the age of 45, this difference was even more marked as only 19% of men over 45 reported satisfaction being single, yet 32% of women of the same age bracket felt the same way.
Another aspect of this study asked participants if they were actively seeking relationships during the previous year. While 35% of single men were looking for relationships, only about 25% of women surveyed were doing the same.
The results of this survey prove that not only are more single women happy than single men but that there are less single women who are actively looking for relationships compared to men. Professor Emily Grundy from the University of Essex has several theories as to why these relationship trends exist.
Possibly what had the most significant impact on single women being satisfied by their single statuses is that most women in relationships work harder than their male partners do. Because of the extra work that women feel they put into relationships compared to men, they prefer to remain single to avoid feeling like they’re pulling more weight in the relationship.
This extra work that women put in is in both physical and emotional ways.
In the majority of relationships, women are expected to perform the majority of domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning. This is often in addition to women working and taking care of children. This can put a lot of pressure on a woman who is expected to put in a full day of work and then come home and cook a meal while her partner may only take out the garbage once a week.
When it comes to the emotional work that goes into relationships, women typically do the majority of this work as well. If a couple argues, for example, it’s often the woman that takes the initiative to resolve the problem. This puts a lot of emotional stress onto the woman to keep the relationship from collapsing since she feels the burden of solving all of the problems in the relationship.
In addition to women putting in more work into relationships, they are often happier while single because they are more willing to reach out and create social networks outside of a relationship that helps them avoid feelings of isolation and loneliness that many experiences when they are not in a relationship.
Several studies found that women that are single spend more time socializing with friends and attending various social activities than those who are in a relationship. Conversely, men who are single spend less time socializing with others compared to those who are in a relationship.
It may be that women simply have more options, but could also simply be that women are better at socializing when single compared to men. Either way, these studies indicate that men tend to rely on their romantic partner for much of their socialization and emotional support, which undoubtedly explains the trend of women being happier while single compared to men.
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About the Author: Originally from Michigan, Melody now enjoys working as a freelance writer from her home in Nicaragua, which she shares with her amazing husband and their crazy cat that was raised on goat’s milk from the time her mother abandoned her at just ten days old. They’re excited to be expecting their first baby, who they thought was a girl, were told was a boy, and then was told was a girl. She also recently finished her first novel and is working on making a cat coloring book.
