Study says single people are happier and richer than married people

There may be more to “single blessedness” than people once thought.

A psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara thinks so. Single people, according to Bella DePaulo, Phd., are more likely to experience growth and development than married people.

Citing a number studies, DePaulo said single people value meaningful work more than married people and are more connected to parents, siblings, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Unattached people were also found to have a heightened sense of self-determination and are more likely to experience “a sense of continued growth and development as a person.”

Moreover, another study revealed that being self-sufficient makes them less likely to experience negative emotions.

“It is time for a more accurate portrayal of single people and single life—one that recognizes the real strengths and resilience of people who are single, and what makes their lives so meaningful,” DePaulo said.

The psychologist stressed that despite the advantages of being single, it doesn’t make it necessarily better than the other and vice versa.

“What matters is not what everyone else is doing or what other people think we should be doing, but whether we can find the places, the spaces and the people that fit who we really are and allow us to live our best lives,” DePaulo added.