Question

People who are single are happier because they are living their most authentic lives without having to worry about someone else.

Comments

while this could be true for some, I don't feel you have quite enough evidence and research to make this big of a claim.

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although I agree that people should be able to be happy while single I do not agree that it is always a solution. i think different people need different things and some people are better off with someone else, i do not think this article gives enough information to make a claim that the general public is happier single

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This is more of a preference rather than a fact. Everyone can have different styles and opinions, so there isn’t a way to tell if people are happier single unless everyone single feels the same way.

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This claim is mostly rooted in biased opinion. The BuzzFeed article uses Shani Silver as an example for someone who realized they could be happy and single at the same time. It is true, you can be happy while you're single but it's all about personal preference. I found an article by Psychology Today that gave multiple different examples on how to be happy while single, which I think could be helpful for people who feel like they need a partner to live happily. I would say this claim is misleading. It should be encouraged that people learn to be single and happy, but if someone thought a partner would make them happy, that's their decision to make.
Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-angry-therapist/202402/how-to-be-happy-being-single?msockid=0db5e7c7e9996eee0cb5f2c5e8236fcc

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While I can see how someone may believe that this claim is true, it's important to remember that everything in our lives is based off of lived experience, and from my perspective it seems like this person may have been in a relationship with someone who they were unable to be their authentic self with, and maybe that is the reason they're making this claim. There is also no research to back up this claim. There was never any statistics for this or any reputible sources that I could find.

Answer 1

This claim is kinda a tricky one, and this is due to what the article states. Based on the article it seems that people are happier based on what their lifestyles are. Which is true, most people in relationships have the lifestyle for them. This is also stated in an the Forbes article,"Married people are only slightly happier.Furthermore, this difference may be shrinking as alternative lifestyles become more accepted." 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2023/10/27/a-psychologist-answers-the-would-i-be-happier-single-question/#:~:text=Studies%20suggest%20that%20married%20people,by%20marriage%20may%20be%20temporary.

Answer 2

The best support I can find for this claim is the social scientists Bella Depaulo being an advocate for singlehood. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and has held academic positions, including at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her work focuses on how and why people lie, as well as the societal perceptions and realities of single life. She has written a book called 'Single at Heart' and has her own website updated to 2025. She never claims being single is "better" or makes you happier. Her main argument is that single life can be just as fulfilling as partnership. Also the article used to make this claim has the headline of "Some people are happier". This does mean all people are.

Answer 3

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Comments

This is a solid and bold point to state. I like that you straight up express your opinion by saying how being single is much better than not because you get to have " most authentic lives without having to worry about someone else". Although as I mentioned I like your comment, I believe the article you posted to support your comment wasn't supportive enough to support what you said. here are two sources that go more in depth explaining why not being in a relationship is better than not. First article linked is why not being in a relationship is better: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8040327/. The second article is for reasons why being in a relationship is better than not: https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/41/2/20,\.

Answer 4

After doing research, I have come to the conclusion that this take is both misleading and unprovable. There are sources that support both sides of this debate, allowing for both sides to prove themselves as "more right". Scenarios and claims that involve people's emotions are usually subjective, being that different people feel different things, react differently to situations, and handle hardships in different ways. Forbes gives their take on this, saying that "relationships offer a happiness boost, but only the good ones" (Forbes, 2023). With that being said, they also state later in their article that "Happy people may be more likely to enter relationships in the first place, making it even more difficult to know if relationships make people happy or if happy people naturally gravitate toward relationships" (Forbes, 2023). This simply shows that this claim can be formed and shifted to fit all kinds of perspectives, but that there is not one single opinion on this that can be completely proven right. I know people who really do enjoy being single and thrive in that kind of independent state of living. On the contrary, I also know people that thrive when they have someone to love, take care of, and grow with. This all completely depends on the person, their current life situation, and what they want for their future. This claim is misleading and although it can be correct for some people, it is incorrect for others. 

References: 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2023/10/27/a-psychologist-answers-the-would-i-be-happier-single-question/ 

Answer 5

The article makes some interesting points but lacks solid evidence. Most of it is based on personal stories instead of actual research. While those stories are relatable, they aren’t enough to prove that being single is generally healthier or makes people happier. Without stronger data or studies to back it up, the article’s argument isn’t very convincing. Research shows that marital status can affect happiness. A study in Psychological Science found that lifelong singles tend to be less satisfied with life compared to people in relationships, which suggests that being in a partnership can boost overall happiness.  https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/2024-dec-singles-differ-personality-traits.html? 

Answer 6

The article states, "Joules Lo’Well, 39, has experienced these benefits firsthand. After leaving an abusive marriage, the Texas resident said she spent too much time dating to try to fill a void she thought she had." Then Joules goes on to say  "I was always stressed out. I was always anxious. Then I noticed that when I wasn’t dating, I felt more at peace" Being single can make you happier but it depends on the circumstances. 

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/single-people-happiness

A study found that "those in relationships are happier than those who are not."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/202402/are-single-or-partnered-young-adults-happier

Answer 7

I believe this statement is an opinion. This varies for certain people as some are happier single and some would rather have someone to care and poor love in to. However, Buzzfeed says that people are happier single. Buzzfeed is a news outlet that often has opinionated articles and they are written by news reporters with often no scientific background in what they post. Though the reporter included information from psychologists and people with a more valid background, most of her evidence is just from average people who have opinions on how being single effected their life, but like mentioned above, various people will have various opinions.

When looking up this statement, most articles that come up are from news outlets or websites like Time Magazine rather than scientific websites or research universities. Psychology Today directly opposes this statement saying that research shows people in relationships have a higher well-being. Psychology Today does include a study done by a psychologist, but it is done in surveys trying to measure happiness which is still an opinion.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/202402/are-single-or-partnered-young-adults-happier

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katiecamero/single-people-happiness

Answer 8

This statement can not be true or false because it is an objective result. One person could be very happy on their own and someone could be very happy in a relationship and vice versa. "The study supports that while many young adults desire to be in a relationship, others do not." , "...the researchers found overall that single young adults experienced lower well-being than their paired-up peers..." , "also found that those who dismissed relationships as unimportant were more satisfied with their lives...". These quotes prove that anyone can prefer any situation and happiness should not be measured by relationships. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/202402/are-single-or-partnered-young-adults-happier

Answer 9

The article used to support the claim that single people are happier is not the most reliable source. In order to make such claim you need to compare both ends of the scale. This article does not touch on every possible aspect of relationships. This article actually seems to be bias supporting the story of one person the author of “A Single Revolution: Don’t look for a Match Light One” she stands by this claim because this is her story. If studies were referenced where it is proven that those who are not in a relationship are happier this would be a true claim. An article from the National Library of Medicine mentions “Singles are an understudied yet growing segment of the adult population. The current study aims to expand the lens of relationship science by examining the well-being of unpartnered, single adults using latent profile analysis.” Their research suggest that most single people are fairly satisfied with their lives and happy but did not conclude with the statement that singles are happier than people in relationships, it simply stated they are happy too.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9523881/

Answer 10

This is a highly subjective matter, and it's not something that can be universally classified as true or false. People’s experiences with relationships, whether positive or negative, can vary greatly. Research, like the one from BetterHealth, shows that strong, healthy relationships have many advantages for mental health, such as providing emotional support, reducing stress, and increasing overall well-being. However, other perspectives, especially from some articles, argue that being single, particularly for women, can lead to a sense of freedom and happiness without the complications or conflicts that can sometimes arise in relationships. Since individual experiences and preferences vary, it's difficult to make a definitive statement on whether relationships are universally beneficial or harmful to mental health. What works for one person may not work for another, and it’s essential to consider different viewpoints and personal experiences when evaluating this topic. In the end, it's subjective and depends on the circumstances of each individual. Therefore, no one can claim this as a universally true or false statement without bias.

 https://time.com/6255111/single-people-happy-healthy/

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Strong-relationships-strong-health