Being single can be a perk. A new study has claimed that single people are just as happy being alone as they are in a relationship.
Lead researcher Yuthika Girme of the University of Auckland said that it was a well-documented finding that single people tend to be less happy compared to those in a relationship, but that may not be true for everyone, and added single people also could have satisfying lives.
In the study, over 4,000 New Zealand residents’ people who tried at all costs to avoid relationship disagreements and conflict were just as happy being single as other people were in relationships.
The study found that participants with low avoidance goals who weren’t concerned about the ups and downs of a relationship were less happy when they were single.
One-fifth of the participants were single at the time of the study.
Girme said that trying too hard to avoid relationship conflicts actually might create more problems, while high avoidance goals might help people be happier when they are single.
She added said having greater approach goals tends to have the best outcomes for people when they were in a relationship, but they also experienced the most hurt and pain when they were single.
