People CAN be single and happy

Society peddles the tired notion that one isn't truly content unless they're married or in a relationship.

Our culture, as you've probably noticed, is highly relationship-centric. Valentine's Day, dating apps, celebrity weddings, juicy hookups bantered about at work. Our Facebook News Feeds replete with articles and memes pertaining to love and relationships, not to mention posts of people professing their love for their partner.

We might as well call it what it really is: a craze. An obsession, if you will.

There's no question that relationships are a wonderful thing. Who doesn't love to hear stories of couples getting engaged on the Eiffel Tower or celebrating their 50th anniversary?

A person can derive a wealth of benefits -- physical, emotional, and financial -- from being partnered up. Provided one is in a healthy relationship, a person's significant other can greatly enrich their life, being there to cheer their successes and help them through life's travails.

But I take issue with the assertion that single people can't be happy.

Whether they've been burned a number of times in the past or simply prefer their own company, people may decide to remain single for a variety of reasons, though it isn't as if they have to justify their decision to anyone.

Just as being in a relationship comes with a slew of perks, so does the choice to live unshackled. Many people would argue that singlehood means less stress, less heartbreak, and more time to pursue personal and professional pursuits, whether that be investing in education, starting a business, traveling around the world, or building friendships. (On the flip side, a partner can help one pursue their goals by, for example, supporting them financially.)

It goes without saying that relationships aren't all peaches and cream.

There are plenty of people who are in relationships, yet still feel lonely and disconnected from their partner. That's why, as I've noted in prior entries, many people find being single to be a better option. If they feel lonelier with someone else, why not fly solo? Your own company is better than that of a partner who mistreats or ignores you!

At the end of the day, neither option is necessarily better than the other. Some people are happy being married, others are fulfilled in relationships, and still others have opted to remain single. It's a simple master of taste/lifestyle preference, and no one should have to seek others' validation for their choice.

Yes, there are many people in the world who are single and quite happy. And no one should presume that there mere fact someone is single likely means they're hopelessly lonely. Solitude -- which so many of us seek to recharge our batteries, collect our thoughts, and enjoy our own company -- is one thing. Loneliness, which no one wants to experience, is another.

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