Why These Young Adults Are Happy to Stay Single

Not too long ago, I found myself perplexed by the thought of entering my 30s unmarried, or worse – without having found someone to marry. And I, unsuccessfully, tried to address this by getting back with my ex-boyfriend, which understandably did not end up so well for either of us.

This was, however, followed by serendipitous encounters with several single women in their 30s and 40s, and an open dialogue with my mother on marriage, which left me questioning my own anxieties about ending up single.

In a nutshell, I realised how the need to be married by a certain age, or at all, wasn’t my own, but one that I had (quiet unhealthily) borrowed from society.

But soon I found another radical shift in my perception. Now, I was not just ‘okay’ being single forever, but was ready to embrace it with my full being. And this shift happened when I spoke to young Indians, who had chosen to lead single lives, for the purpose of this article.

In his book Happy Singlehood, author Elyakim Kislev claims that such individuals, in fact, are the fastest-growing demographic group in many countries.

Three such persons share their reasons and experiences of choosing singlehood.

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