Hell if I know. I've been alone, and now I'm with someone. I've been happy and sad in both circumstances. Not enough data to say either way.
Poll: You will never be as happy in life as you are when in a relationship
- Thread starter JokerCrowe
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Hm, I wouldn't go as far as to say that being in a relationship absolutely guarantees more happiness than being single (or vice versa), since that really depends on the kind of person you are and the conditions in which you thrive.
I was always of the opinion that I didn't need a relationship to be truly happy, until I met my girlfriend over 3 years ago. Now I'm of the opinion that I can't be truly happy without her in my life. Having somebody you love to share your good times and bad with is a wonderful thing, but that's not to say I would be miserable if I had never met her- I had other things in my life that brought me joy. The relationship simply gave me more (or different) reasons to be happy.
Besides, I'm of the opinion that before you can be truly happy in a relationship you should possess the ability to find happiness in yourself or your situation. A relationship in itself should never be the single source of happiness in your life, since that puts a lot of pressure on your partner to keep you happy.
I was always of the opinion that I didn't need a relationship to be truly happy, until I met my girlfriend over 3 years ago. Now I'm of the opinion that I can't be truly happy without her in my life. Having somebody you love to share your good times and bad with is a wonderful thing, but that's not to say I would be miserable if I had never met her- I had other things in my life that brought me joy. The relationship simply gave me more (or different) reasons to be happy.
Besides, I'm of the opinion that before you can be truly happy in a relationship you should possess the ability to find happiness in yourself or your situation. A relationship in itself should never be the single source of happiness in your life, since that puts a lot of pressure on your partner to keep you happy.
Statistically speaking that is true, you live around 14 years longer if you have a life long partner.
Anecdotally I can feel my heart being more calm that usual, HR is usually around 55, BP is usually around 105/50 and I can feel when it goes lower.
Anecdotally I can feel my heart being more calm that usual, HR is usually around 55, BP is usually around 105/50 and I can feel when it goes lower.
Well it kind of depends, in general, I am not significantly happier now, engaged and about to get married to a woman I love very much, than I was most of the time before I met her. I still do and enjoy the same things and still have ups and downs.
That said, the downs are now much easier to deal with, since she is around to give me support where before I would let it stew and get steadily worse until I forced my way through the other side.
While the relationship is not something that makes me necessarily happier with my life than I was when I was happy before, it makes the lows much more bearable. I generally a happier person when I am with her than I was before, in part because she has such a sunny disposition that kind of rubs off on my gloomier and more cynical personality. So in a broad way i am happy more often, but not necessarily more happy.
That said, the downs are now much easier to deal with, since she is around to give me support where before I would let it stew and get steadily worse until I forced my way through the other side.
While the relationship is not something that makes me necessarily happier with my life than I was when I was happy before, it makes the lows much more bearable. I generally a happier person when I am with her than I was before, in part because she has such a sunny disposition that kind of rubs off on my gloomier and more cynical personality. So in a broad way i am happy more often, but not necessarily more happy.
I think you will never be as happy in life as you are in the right relationship. That doesn't mean you can't be happy alone, just that you'd be happier in the right relationship. That's why we get into relationships, in pursuit of the one that will make us happier.
To put a different spin on this: does happiness depend on what you have, or how much you appreciate what you have?
Both the single life and the couple life can be extremely rewarding, if you practice appreciating what you have while you have it. For singles that can be space, time alone, freedom to flirt with who you want, not needing to divide your focus. For couples it can be companionship, romance, friendship, family, having someone to cuddle and watch stupid sitcoms with at the end of the night, or whatever. They both have their pros and cons.
And nothing sucks more than realizing too late that you should've appreciated what you had while you still had it. I've seen this in both couples and singles. Enjoy where you're at. That's basically it.
Both the single life and the couple life can be extremely rewarding, if you practice appreciating what you have while you have it. For singles that can be space, time alone, freedom to flirt with who you want, not needing to divide your focus. For couples it can be companionship, romance, friendship, family, having someone to cuddle and watch stupid sitcoms with at the end of the night, or whatever. They both have their pros and cons.
And nothing sucks more than realizing too late that you should've appreciated what you had while you still had it. I've seen this in both couples and singles. Enjoy where you're at. That's basically it.
It really depends, in a way I do agree, mostly because being a 20 year old who has never been in a relationship (hell, I've never even been kissed), it would be nice to meet the right girl and it's been bothering me for a long time now as after not being able to meet anyone at Q-Con, it really depressed me, even after 5 days, I'm still down about it. I would like to meet someone who shares at least most of the same interests as me (i.e. Gaming and anime), but living in Northern Ireland where most of the girls are just the same and are a bit chavvy, it's just frustrating to find someone I like. Just being with someone who likes me a lot and I like a lot as well and likes the things I do which we can experience together, would really make me happy, call me sappy, that's just me.
I am currently single and I am enjoying every single minute of it. I think that is because I largely prefer my own company, and I don't really like to answer to anybody. In short, I am far too selfish to be in a relationship, and I really don't mind being that way.
I'm single and I agree.
Being single is okay for a while, but I've been single for almost 3 years now and I'm not gonna lie and say I don't get lonely/depressed sometimes about it. I'm pretty happy all around, I love my job, I do cool things with friends every weekend, have fulfilling hobbies, etc. But despite all this, I still feel like there's a void in my life and I really wish that I was in a good relationship. It's just a great feeling to have someone you care about so much. Someone you can share everything with, that you can stay up all night talking to and it feels like only 10 minutes have gone by... Yeah I want that more than anything.
That said, I'd rather be single than be in a crappy relationship. 2 of my friends who are in a relationship are just fighting constantly and saying the meanest things to each other and I can't understand why they continue doing it. Some people stay in relationships just for the sake of being with someone, they're afraid of being alone I think. I don't want that at all, and I'll continue being single until I meet the right person.
Being single is okay for a while, but I've been single for almost 3 years now and I'm not gonna lie and say I don't get lonely/depressed sometimes about it. I'm pretty happy all around, I love my job, I do cool things with friends every weekend, have fulfilling hobbies, etc. But despite all this, I still feel like there's a void in my life and I really wish that I was in a good relationship. It's just a great feeling to have someone you care about so much. Someone you can share everything with, that you can stay up all night talking to and it feels like only 10 minutes have gone by... Yeah I want that more than anything.
That said, I'd rather be single than be in a crappy relationship. 2 of my friends who are in a relationship are just fighting constantly and saying the meanest things to each other and I can't understand why they continue doing it. Some people stay in relationships just for the sake of being with someone, they're afraid of being alone I think. I don't want that at all, and I'll continue being single until I meet the right person.
I'm afraid this may come off as "boo hoo" but I have to say that as someone who is currently going through a divorce, I imagine once it's all behind me that I'm going to be a lot better off. This relationship at times honestly made me feel as lowly and worthless as a worm, so hey if I can avoid that feeling again for the rest of my life then I'll be okay with that.
I think it's true, in a way. The emotional highs are definitely higher in a relationship. Although the lows are way, way lower than when you're single. If you're looking for quantity though, being single's much better for consistent happiness, but you'll never be 'as happy' as those good moments in a relationship.
Um, depends on the relationship? I've been at my happiest when I was in a relationship; I've also been at my most miserable. I've been over the moon in love, unable to imagine I could deserve to be so happy, and I've literally stared at the ceiling with my brain insisting on doing math problems because my emotional centers couldn't cope with confronting how miserable I was feeling.
Some people "do" better when they're in a relationship; there's long standing evidence that married people live a few years longer than non-married ones. Others would only bring stress to themselves and their significant other trying to artificially prolong something that only creates tension in their lives.
I'm married, and reasonably happy being so, but far be it from me to suggest "my way" has to be the way for everyone.
Some people "do" better when they're in a relationship; there's long standing evidence that married people live a few years longer than non-married ones. Others would only bring stress to themselves and their significant other trying to artificially prolong something that only creates tension in their lives.
I'm married, and reasonably happy being so, but far be it from me to suggest "my way" has to be the way for everyone.
For me that's true but hardly true to all people. Relationships do a lot of damage to so many people because of notions like this that relationships are somehow 'true happiness'.
It's very subjective I say, but I think notions like this exist because relationships when they work give a specific kind of happiness that you can't recreate with anything else.
It's basically drugs that are legal and they feel great.
It's very subjective I say, but I think notions like this exist because relationships when they work give a specific kind of happiness that you can't recreate with anything else.
It's basically drugs that are legal and they feel great.
Instance by instance, yes. I find relationships tend to magnify things, so the highs are higher, but the lows are lower. At least that's how it is for me. I find myself being consistently contented with very few down days when I'm single, while in relationships I tend to be immensely happy, but with the way I am, I find my self in more situations where I'm stressed or brought down. It really depends on the people in question and the circumstances of the relationship.