Society has a longstanding habit of telling us to team up, find love, get hitched, and live happily ever after. But not everyone finds that perfect partner quite so easily, and not everyone even wants to — being single, after all, certainly has its benefits. Depending on the nature of any potential future partnership, being unattached, in comparison, can offer more freedom, more independence, less stress, and a far simpler decision about what movie to watch at night.
There is, unfortunately, a social stigma attached to going it solo. Most single people, for example, have at least one family member whose raison d'être seems to be commenting on the whys, whos, and whens of our uncoupled status. But we learn to ignore them as best we can — because, as Maya Angelou once said, “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.” Here are more quotes extolling the virtues of a single life, by people from Søren Kierkegaard to Taylor Swift.
When you are one of several, then you have lost your freedom; you cannot send for your traveling boots whenever you wish, you cannot move aimlessly about in the world.Søren Kierkegaard
The single woman is a free woman, and being single does not mean being alone — it means being free to have a relationship or not.Monica Bellucci, actress
Those venturing into singlehood are the Lewis and Clarks of a pioneering lifestyle with few maps, unexpected ambushes, and an infinity of adventures. Therein lies its glory!Barbara Feldon, actress
I thought single was a stupid term. It made it sound like you were unattached to anyone, unconnected to anything. I preferred the term singular. As in individual.David Levithan, author
Being single used to mean that nobody wanted you. Now it means you’re pretty, sexy, and you’re taking your time deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with.Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in “Sex and the City”
When I'm alone, I can sleep crossways in bed without an argument.Zsa Zsa Gabor
Many women are not just surviving alone, they’re thriving. They’re empowered, they’re making money, they’re being healthy, they’re traveling. You are allowed to be proud of your life when you’re not part of a couple.Teri Hatcher
It’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.Olivia Wilde
One of the defining characteristics of the single life is that the future is always open.Jean-Claude Kaufmann, sociologist
Being single doesn’t mean that you’re weak, it means you’re strong enough to wait for what you deserve.Niall Horan, singer-songwriter
Married people are on training wheels. Singles are riding the bikes for grown-ups.Bella DePaulo, psychologist and author
My work is so rewarding and I’m so self-centered about it that I’m kind of excited about not having to go home and ask someone about their day.Mindy Kaling, actress and screenwriter
It’s OK to be single. And it's not just OK, it can be really awesome, and really amazing and really empowering and a really great opportunity to find yourself and to figure out what you want to do with your life before you bring someone else into the picture with you.Mandy Hale, author
Life can be romantic without having a romance.Taylor Swift
Photo credit: Jamie McCarthy/ Getty Images Entertainment via Getty images
