Do you know anyone who has never had a partner?

[pimpyourprosecco]

A thread in relationships made me think of this (the person in question was very young) but do you know anyone who's a bit on in years who has never been in a relationship?

Would it put you off being with them?

My BIL is nearly 40, still lives with his parents, & has never been in a relationship. AFAIK he doesn't have any friends either, just family & colleagues.

3 of my really good friends in their 40s/50s. All brilliant women, good looking, independent and funny. Not sure why they have never had a relationship, neither are they really. Two of them are very happy being on their own, the other did want to meet someone.

My brother, although I have a very strong suspicion that he is gay and probably has had partners, he has just never told us as he has yet to 'come out'

Friend was on her own and had never had a partner of any description until 2 years ago. She is 50 years old and has met a lovely (slightly younger) chap and is really happy. She would have loved to of had a family but as she says they met too late in life.

I'm very happy for her!

My SIL, in her 40s, has never been on a date. It doesn't interest her at all. She has loads of friends and is very sociable and popular, but doesn't feel the need for a partner or companion.

A friend, until she was 39 IIRC. She'd had at most a couple of dates plus one disastrous encounter with an abusive older man when she was a very innocent 16 year old . She is now married to a dynamic chap and they have two lovely kids.

Some people are asexual, and would struggle to have a traditional relationship with someone who was not also asexual. Hence not then having relationships.

My DBro.

I'm vaguely aware of a couple of girlfriends when he was at university, but he's never co-habited and doesn't appear to have had any partner at all in the last 30 years or so.

My Dsis. She's 38 and has never had any kind of relationship. Its really sad and I think she's quite lonely, but pretty much resigned to being on her own. She's quite shy and our DM thinks she's scared of men and I'm beginning to think that maybe DM is right.

She's one of those people who, in the past, has either thrown herself desperately at someone she fancies and frightened them off, or acted so aloof that any guy that's interested gives up. She has always had a VERY long list of necessary attributes a guy would need to have and long-lasting (even to now) crushes on football players and actors and other unattainable men.

Then there is DSB (step-brother). He's gay and bi-polar and travels a huge amount for his job. He's very good looking and charismatic, but complicated and like Dsis has had crushes and relationships in his head that never amount to anything in RL.

The pair of them are very complicated!

Yep, two neighbours, sisters in their late thirties. They are very odd & have a lot of social flaws unfortunately. However they did grow up with very strange parents & I've always thought that might be a factor. they've openly admitted that they have never so much as kissed someone.

A friend of mine...early 40's, lives with parents.

She did shad her bosses mate once, but I'm not sure that counts as a relationship.

She doesn't have a particularly highly paid job, but as she lives with her parents and will probably inherit their house doesn't need to financially, but I do wonder about her emotionally.

She's happy, and doesn't seem bothered that she hasn't had children, even though she works with children professionally.

I have a friend who is a nun. Does that count? She is happy with her life choices. She would argue her relationship is with God.

My best friend. She's a lovely lady but she lost her mum at a young age, which sadly made her feel that anyone she loves will leave her, one way or another . Her father was emotionally abusive, always telling her she was useless etc, which obviously affected her confidence. She lived with him until she was in her early 20s, which I think held back her social development. She's now in her early 30s and has hobbies, lots of friends and an active social life but has never been in a relationship. She's had offers but I think she's anxious about the unknown, which is a shame because she's a caring person who would make a good partner. I wish she'd consider counselling to deal with her past.

Erm, some women in my circle appear never to have had relationships but they are both long-term OWs.

A male friend of mine met his first and only girlfriend at the age of 41 (he was a virgin) and they're still blissfully married :)

I've given them up. Been over ten years now. I'm not closed or bitter, I'm just not looking and not very interested. Should have tried this ages ago!

One of my close friends who is 31. She's really independent and never lets anyone get too close.

Some people are asexual. I worked with an asexual man for years. He was great, and perfectly relaxed about the fact he had no interest in sex. I bumped into him about 15 years later and learned he'd got married! You can't really ask someone you've only just re-met while waiting for a lift "So do you have sex, or is she like you?"

Unfortunately. I'm still dying to know!

My DUncle has never had a relationship and I strongly suspect is a virgin at almost 50.

He had dreadful OCD in his teens/early twenties but eventually found a job, which gave him a bit of a social life for a number of years. Unfortunately, he was made redundant and ended up caring for my DGP's for many years, until my DGF died a couple of years ago. Now, he has no purpose and I'm terribly worried about him - he appears depressed and I suspect his OCD is back. I also strongly suspect he's on the spectrum somewhere as he has very little social skills. I do worry what'll become of him as he has no purpose in life and struggles to talk appropriately to people 😞

My uncle is in his late 70's, has never had a partner and has no inclination to start now. He is one of the loveliest people you could come across, very intelligent (has PhD's in English and English Literature, and writes for a living) and told me once that he liked his lifestyle too much to give it up for a woman.

He travels around the world and loves eating/going out with his friends. I can see why he stays single as he can do what he wants, go where he wants and doesn't have to answer to anyone as to where the money is going, no OH nagging about spending more time with them, no OH giving off about various things. It's not hard to see the appeal about staying single.

My BIL hasn't as far as I know. He is mid 40s and I would suspect he is still a virgin.

Two old-school maiden aunties. Two cousins (one male, one female, both 40-odd). I never found it odd, growing up, that I had two maiden aunts but I think that MIL, for example, finds it a bit peculiar.

My brother is 62 and has never had a partner. He's a successful person career wise, lots of friends, drinking buddies etc, seems happy but just never found his soul mate I don't think.

My uncle, burned in a fire as a teen, face and upper body/hands. Many, many ops followed over the years. Nearly 70 now and never had a relationship.

My DHs brother, in his 50s and never a relationship. Him and DH like chalk and cheese. Financially stable, attractive, but not interested apparently.

Sil, amazing person- kind, thoughtful, considerate, intelligent, well travelled. I dont understand why she is still single.