To think most people will be mostly single in future

I don’t think so.

I agree. I have been so much more sociable since getting divorced and I have not felt the kind of loneliness marriage made me sometimes feel even once. The idea that being single means you sit alone in your house is not my experience at all, it’s the complete opposite.

Maintanence sex 🤮

Ugggggh, maintenance sex, I shudder to think what previous generations were conditioned to put themselves through.

Yes I love being social. I love people in my space some time. But do not be there 24/7. When I just want to sit on the sofa and not speak. Leave me be.

Also I always worry having a live in partner means feeling pressure to have “maintenance sex”. I don’t want that either.

Agree!!!

I don’t know about most, but I definitely think more will.

My children WERE the light of my life. But they are grown up now and have lives of their own. It's fine when you are deep in the child rearing stage of life, but wait until you are older, the children have left home and you have a man who has decided that he just wants to sit on the sofa and watch TV every day when you want to travel.

Totally agree with this. I've said for years that men are slower at evolving than women are. There is a proportion of them that still think they can act as man-children and be looked after by women. But there are less and less women that will accept that now.

I think families need to work hard on their children, to support their sons to develop in a way that will enable them to be a man worth having, that will be wanted by a woman. Because most of us just don't need them anymore.

I agree, but I actually extend the decreasing mental health to the lack of a role of religion in society. I’m not at all religious but I think we are really missing the sense of community a local parish church used to provide, and weekly time out for reflection, gratitude and meditation must be good for mental health.

I should also run for cover, but I do think there should be more initiatives to replace the role of the church in society (it looks like manifestation and meditation are becoming more popular, it would be great to see some communal, real life structure being put around this for people to gravitate towards…)

I think you're right OP. I don't think society is geared towards traditional long term relationships anymore. I don't know so much if people will lead single lives but I feel marriage will be a thing of the past and people will have more casual relationships

I think this would happen if living was more affordable, but unless you want a houseshare it makes more sense to couple up. It's great now that the expectation isn't marriage and babies though, but I do think most people would be in a relationships if they found 'the one'

I agree with this...

It's a great topic to ponder, you only have to read the many replies on here from women who are no longer putting up with a substandard partner to see the shift.

Of course there are men also doing the same thing, though I think the numbers are far less as their desire for sex usually sees them always seeking a partner out. That's not to say women don't desire sex, of course we do, but I think accross the board women are a lot less preoccupied with it.

I think until mens attitude changes and they can think of women as equals rather than just a sexual desire, a maid and a mum then more women will choose to stay single.

Aslo we forget that marriage and monogamy are social constructs not actual biological needs or desires. There's very few mammals in nature that mate for life, I know we've evolved on from apes but the actual desires are still our boilogy that was the same millenia ago. Procreation and companionship with intimacy is what drives us to want more from a partner than say just a freind, otherwise we'd all just have freinds and find a partner only when we wanted children

I've been single for 5 years.
I go through phases of feeling sad I don't have a special relationship, but I also love my single life. I'm a single mum and I can't imagine anyone taking any bit of my attention away from my boys!
I do worry though that being single for so long has made me anti relationship and I'll struggle if and when the time comes that I do meet someone!

I think that the rates of second marriages will drop - (why do that again)but the desire for a family unit to raise children, if that is your choice, will remain, so marriage will still have its place.

It’s the people who settle I feel really sorry for.

I think it will become more popular definitely. I’m a single mum and have a professional job. It’s hard work but no way would I compromise - I’d only get in a relationship if all boxes ticked.

that said I know a few women that remain with people they “settled” for because they don’t want financial upheaval or stigma. That’s fine but it is becoming less common

EXACTLY.

Living with other people, & that includes as part of a couple, was bloody awful for my mental health. Living with my cat, & spending a lot of time socialising with friends & family, is perfect.

@Emanresuunknown, please don’t worry about feeling sorry for me. It’s completely wasted.

I've always been far too self-immersed to be part of a long-term couple. But I'm not "happily single" because I'm not by nature a happy sort of person. I'd imagine if I was part of a couple I'd be just as sad most of the time.

But being a lifelong single does take a punishing toll, when good friends and loved ones die - your world shrinks hugely and you have to decide if it's worth going on. The thick fog of of sorrow, loss and regret closes in and can become overwhelming.

It's similar of course if you have a partner, but if the relationship is a worthy one the support will be strong and comforting in these circumstances.

But eventually of course your partner may pass away before you do, and you'll be in the same leaking boat as me anyway. Be thankful for supportive friends, whether you live in the same house or not.

Children and family are only important things to you because you have them. If you were single and you had a lovely dog then would you feel sad that other people didn't want a dog because that dog brings so much more joy to your life than a career? Or a sister, or a best friend or whatever it may be. It sounds a bit patronising when you say you feel sad for people who don't have what you have, especially if they don't even want it.

Hopefully it’ll be more whatever makes you happy- for me it’s (was) having a person I adored being around and could be totally my worst self around, we only had eyes for each other, we could finish each other’s sentences, we had a laugh, even at the worst times, and we were there for each other and we didn’t automatically slam each other for mistakes we made because we’re both human.

I do wonder nowadays are more people choosy and so unwilling to let faults slide but I’m thinking I sound like my mum even thinking that!!!

A live in companion is actually my idea of hell. I just cannot imagine somebody in my space all the time.

@snughugs but they’d have to worship me and be rich and keep their own house.

This!
The only way they can qualify next time around.😆

I am single and still have family.

And most people see joy in good marriages. If one of those is not on offer then being single is just where people end up.

There could be a positive outcome.

All adults learn to fend for themselves - earn their own money, do their own life admin, budget their own finances, nourish themselves and keep themselves and their home clean.

Once they can do that independently, they are ready to share a home with another human and will be a wholesome adult.

It should be the norm alread but sadly it's not yet.