Self Partnered?

[PrincessHoneysuckle]

A bit daft or a good turn of phrase?

Emma Watson has described herself as this,she means she is single.Aibu to think shes being a bit daft or do you think it's a good thing shes described herself in this way because shes more than happy to be alone.

or it might just be that if you're wealthy and successful you don't need a partner because you can pay people to do everything for you....

I dislike the term self partnered. Because you can’t partner yourself. You are just one whole person.

I like default mode. If she decides to have a partner she can say she’s taken an extension pack

Affected, pretentious nonsense. Why do people care whether she's single or not anyway?

Makes her sound like a bit of a pretentious twat, though I'm sure she's not.

It also sounds like a term for wanking.

I would never have used the phrase but I kind of think it fits if you actually do things for yourself that help build your own sense of self.
EG instead of moaning (or even just accepting) that there is no one to buy me a christmas or birthday present, I buy myself something special every year. Depending on finances it may be very cheap but is always a bit of a luxury thing.
I frequently buy myself flowers or a foody treat if I have something (however small) to celebrate. Anytime I catch myself thinking that it would be nice if I had someone to ... I try to find a way of doing it for myself rather than feeling down about it.

That to me is self partnering rather than just being single

The word partner means there is more than one person involved. There is nothing strong and powerful about misuse of language.

It’s a pretentious phrase and I think it would have been a big improvement for her to describe herself as “a whole person without needing anyone to partner me” or some such - but I agree with a previous poster that it is ridiculously difficult for single women to convince others that they are happily single. Plus the word “single” itself implies a lack of something, as if having a partner should always be the aspired-to norm.

What a pile of pretentious old toss.

Hope Emma was being tongue in cheek.
'Self-partnered' is not just ridiculous, it's undermining of single status - as if having a partner must be the default state, so that even single people have to ghost the word 'partner' into a self-descriptor.

Why do people care whether she's single or not anyway?

Ask the tabloids.

“a whole person without needing anyone to partner me”

And you don't think that is pretentious and wanky?? 😂

@SoupDragon. No. What’s pretentious about being frustrated, as I imagine EW is, about endless focus on her being in a relationship the moment she’s spotted in public with a man, and with all the socially accepted colloquialisms which reinforce that women should aspire to be with somebody: “other half”; “coupled up”; “found happiness” (whenever somebody starts a new relationship.)

It's the phrase you came up with that is just as pretentious and wanky as what she said.

To clarify, I have no problem with what she said but if you think it's pretentious then so is your suggestion. A simple "I'm fine being single" would be the straightforward response.

It’s stupid!

I think it's another word for "wanker".

It was just a throw away comment, related to the pressure on women to have achieved certain things by a certain age (she's turning 30). She's probably just sick of being asked about when she is getting married / having children etc.

I think it's good. She's saying she's happy being single and looking after herself.

Didnt Carrie sort of do this in SATC when she worked out how much shed spwnt on other people's weddings, baby showers etc? Sent out a gift list saying she was celebrating bring her or something? (obviously then totally undermined by her near permanent angst about Big but never mind). I get what EW is possibly trying to say, that she is happy as she is, there is no 'missing other half.

I’m guessing it was probably tongue in cheek. And maybe a way to try and make people back the hell off with the endless comments you get from certain quarters when you’re single. I’ve lost count of he times I’ve had to patiently but firmly explain that no, I’m not dating and no, I’m not bothered about meeting someone and yes, I am quite happy on my own and yes, I really do mean that and I’m not just putting on a brave little face to hide the yawing loneliness that people seem to be convinced I must suffer.

Why on earth do some people find it hard to understand that a woman (or indeed anyone) might be happy by themselves? (I suspect that, in the Venn diagram between these people and people who cannot understand a woman who chooses not to have children, there is a fairly densely populated overlap.)

Even close friends sometimes need this hammered home, so Lord only knows what it must feel like to have the world’s celebrity press in on the act as well.

It's ridiculous and attention-seeking. There's another thread about her at the moment on the feminism board, pointing out the load of twaddle she's been spouting about feminism at the time of her current film Little Women.

Silly twaddle, but then she's just some celebrity, not someone who there is any reason to pay any mind to.

There are plenty of real role models around for children to look up to. Parents, teachers, doctors, the wee woman on the till in Tesco, the bin man, the list is endless.

I can understand why it irritates people as is an odd expression that comes across affected. But then I have always found Emma Watson a bit affected generally.

That said in this instance, I really like it because there is so much scruntiny, especially as people approach their 30s (like Emma) and I think it's just a way of saying - piss off everyone I'm actually enjoying my life right now.

I can't lose sleep over it. I'm not terribly fond of the phrase but it's not the worse thing to come out of a celebrities mouth and I suspect like @Mirroredbox and @PookieDo said she's fed up of being partnered off with every man she is seen with.

Personally I think she's a decent role model to young girls growing up and a damn sight better than some of the ones I had in the 90s (supermodels, girl bands etc).

1960's woman quote when asked this (particularly by males) - "if you are the alternative"
or ahem
"I love myself
I think I'm grand
I love to sit & hold my hand
I put my arm
around my waist
when I get fresh
I slap my face"
(high school age nonsense post - best performed with actions! not rude ones!!!)

It's a pretentious answer to a wanky question. Why the focus on her having a partner? Does she need to be part of a relationship in order to be considered a success?

I'm pretty sure she's intelligent enough to realise that it's a ridiculous phrase, and I'm pretty sure she used it knowing that instead of smiling demurely she's teaching young women that it's fine to go "actually, I'm alright on my own, thanks" and not have to act coy when anyone asks "got yourself a man yet?"

The fact that anyone feels the need to ask a successful woman if she's got a partner is beyond ridiculous.