Naturally, the truth is rather different. Studies have blitzed the stereotype of the poor lonely spinster out of the water, revealing that women are actually happier being single than men. Further research has shown that single women without children were happier than both men and married women with children.
Gender differences in depression are well established, and studies have found that biological, psychological, and social factors contribute to the disparity. But research also shows that women are more likely to experience intense positive emotions — such as joy and happiness — compared to men.
Indeed, married people are happier than unmarried people: across nearly five decades of surveys, data from the GSS shows that 36% of people who have ever been married (including divorced, separated, and widowed people) say they are “very happy” while just 11% are “not too happy,” compared to 22% and 15% for people who ...
People become more satisfied with being single around age 40. There's a common misconception that older singles are the least happy with their relationship status. But actually, MacDonald's research suggests that starting around age 40, singletons become more satisfied with their solo lives.
New research suggests single individuals are, in general, satisfied with both singlehood and life. People with lower singlehood satisfaction are more likely to be men, older, more educated, or in worse health.
Long-term loneliness also has negative physical health implications, such as cardiovascular disease. Single men are also more likely to be depressed than married men.
In one large study from the Brookings Institute, for example, scientists found happiness was high for 18- to 21-year-olds and then dropped steadily until about age 40. But past middle age, the pattern began to reverse—gradually climbing back up to its highest point at age 98!
According to studies, the more self-sufficient single people are, the less likely they are to experience negative emotions. But for married people, being self-sufficient is associated with more negative emotions — almost like they resent having to fend for themselves.
Being single can feel lonely at times, and loneliness isn't always easy to manage. A first key step to combat feeling lonely is to first take a few deep, slow breaths, resist any urge to panic, so you can turn on your thinking brain.
If nothing else, being single is a learning experience — one that happens to be good for your mental health, believe it or not. So stop stressing over those seemingly endless (and cliché) “I SAID YES!” posts everyone shares on Instagram, and start appreciating the benefits of single life.
Married: Love and marriage. It just so happens that 86% of millionaires are married, including an impressive 65% who are in their first marriage, according to US Trust's “Insights on Wealth and Worth.”
Men are happier when they're married.
Conversely, only 31% were filed by men. You could jump to two different conclusions based on those numbers: Women are unhappier in their marriages than men are. The unhappiness might be on par, but women are far less likely to put up with it.
Single people may develop more individually and benefit more from alone time. Several studies have linked solitude to benefits such as an increased sense of freedom and higher levels of creativity and intimacy. Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, says that alone time can help people be more productive as well.
It's an excruciatingly common misperception that straight women throw themselves headlong into the classic three-word declaration, desperate to know "what we are" and "where we're going." But studies show heterosexual men tend to fall in love, or believe they have fallen in love, much faster than their female partners.
Couples with a zero to three-year age difference showed greater satisfaction than those with a four- to six-year gap. Likewise, couples with a four- to six-year gap showed greater satisfaction than those with a seven-plus year gap. In general, marital satisfaction decreased as the age difference increased.
In short, the happiest men are those who derive pleasure from their work. This point is spot on across all aspects of wellbeing, such as emotional, physical and mental satisfaction. And, it doesn't all come down to dollars and cents.
Although frustrating, it's perfectly natural to be unhappy about being single. This is especially true if you feel lonely, hopeless about love, or isolated because all of your friends are in relationships. Whatever feelings you have, it's vital to cope with your unhappy feelings about being single.
We took a look at data gathered over the past year, comprised of more than 700,000 screenings, and noticed an interesting trend: people who selected “single” as their partnership status scored more highly consistent for symptoms of depression, than their counterparts.
If it is common, it is normal. To be single is utterly ordinary, more so now than any time in recent history, not just in the U.S. but in many places around the world. In the U.S., for example, nearly as many adults 18 and older are unmarried as married.
"There is absolutely no set time frame that counts as 'too long' for being single," says Megan Stubbs, EdD, a sexologist and relationship expert based in Michigan. Part of the reason why is because there's no set definition as what "being single" actually looks like.
Sleeping Alone.
Many of you noted that having no one to fall asleep next to, or wake up next to is the hardest part of being single. It's completely normal to have that longing for intimacy and to even find yourself imagining what that might look like when you find yourself feeling alone.
Of the 1,528 people studied, it found two distinct groups lived longest: people who stayed married and people who stayed single. “People who divorced, or who divorced and remarried, had shorter lives,” Bella writes, in Psychology Today. “What mattered was consistency, not marriage.
Most men grow to the point that they're ready to settle down when they're in their late 20s and early 30s, typically years after women do. This is just a generalization, though; many men are ready to settle down earlier, and others aren't ready until much later in life.
The Best And Hardest Ages
Forty percent of survey participants felt that five was the most fun age. This was thought to be down to improved communication skills and the development of a good sense of humour. The survey also found that parents had the least fun with the 10 to 12 year old children.
One in ten 30-somethings even describe their energy levels as excellent, compared to just one in 20 over-50s and over-60s who said the same. It also found those in their 30s get the most exercise - an average of three times a week despite juggling family and work.