Temporary Benefits of Being SIngle

From the Times of London we have this story about some people who are enjoying being single.

FORGET Bridget Jones and her hapless search for a husband: real-life singletons are career-minded, successful, happy people, comfortable with their status, according to a new survey.

Unlike the accident-prone Ms Jones, single people no longer feel socially odd and use their status to travel and try “new life experiences”.

The findings of the survey, which interviewed more than 1,000 single people aged mostly between 25 and 54, highlight the changes and adaptations people are making as the single population grows…

The survey, timed to coincide with National Singles Week, which begins on Monday, found that 82 per cent of those questioned said that being single gave them “an opportunity to try new life experiences” and 89 per cent said that travelling alone “boosted their confidence” and allowed them to be more spontaneous and adventurous.

Single people questioned about their lifestyles said that a busy working life created opportunities for greater self-esteem and 83 per cent said that having a good career was more important for single people than those who were married or cohabiting.

So, what happens after retirement? Cat come over for a visit? Seriously this “living forever single” has some huge downsides. Basically, when you get old the career is going to be gone, the travel opportunities are going to disappear and you’re still coming home to an empty bed. The temporary “good feelings” yield to some long-term losses when compared to marriage accord to Professor David Popenpoe:

Contrary to earlier and widely publicized reports, recent research finds men and women to benefit about equally from marriage, although in different ways. Both men and women live longer, happier, healthier and wealthier lives when they are married. Husbands typically gain greater health benefits, while wives gain greater financial advantages.

So they’ll miss out on those benefits after having frittered their life away and will die young in nursing homes totally alone.