However, that doesn’t apply to everyone as single people can also live satisfying lives on their own. However, single people now outnumber married adults in the United States, with more than 128 million singles representing 51 percent of the adult population.
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Based on the results of the study, the researchers were able to show that those with high “avoidance social goals” can be just as happy when they are single as those who are in relationships.
The study found that people who chose to avoid conflict – high on the avoidance scale – were just as happy being single as their coupled-up counterparts while those higher on the approach scale were happiest when involved in a romantic relationship.
Yuthika Girme, lead author, and her colleagues explain the situation by saying that people who are happy being single find it less stressful to be romantically unattached. But a new study makes clear that for some, being single is the way to be.
Using a nationally-representative sample of 4,024 participants drawn from the database of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study run by University of Auckland Associate Professor Chris Sibley, the latest research examined how individual differences in behaviours impact on relationship status and happiness. They were between the ages of 18 to 94 years old, and had an average of long-term relationships that lasted 22 years.
This may be because being single takes away some of the anxiety associated with conflicts in relationships.
Just because you’re happy being single that doesn’t mean you should try too hard to avoid all forms on human contact.
For some people, trying to avoid conflict with their partner can contribute to “anxiety, loneliness, lower life satisfaction, and an unhealthy focus on negative memories”, says Ms Girme. (Those who) “seek to maintain relationships by enhancing intimacy and fostering growth together as partners” for the most part were more satisfied with their personal lives.
“Having greater approach goals tends to have the best outcomes for people when they are in a relationship, but they also experience the most hurt and pain when they are single”, Girme said.
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Beyond happiness, more and more research has shown that being single does have its perks when it comes to our physical health. Above all else, relying on someone else for happiness or satisfaction can be a slippery slope. Social Psychological and Personality Science.
