It takes a lot of self-love and a strong sense of self-worth to stay single in a world designed for couples.
Rolling solo when all your friends are coupled up is even harder, whether you dream of having a relationship or not. It’s never easy to be the odd one out!
Here are 7 realities of being the only single one in your friend group that pretty much all singletons can relate to.
1. Getting pity looks and pep talks
Society views being single as a negative thing; it’s something in your life to “fix.” Because of this, you sometimes get looks of pity and pep talks from your friends because you don’t have a partner when everyone else does, and that has to be tragic. You’ll get the “don’t worry, you’ll find someone” talk more than once, for sure. It happens whether you’re worried about it or not.
2. Being set up on terrible dates
Your friends will try to set you up on a bunch of dates with the very best intentions. They’ll bring in siblings, cousins, work colleagues, and the friends of their partners as reinforcements. Sometimes going on a set-up date is actually fun. Other times, it’s best to have a firm plan of escape in place.
3. Being asked why you’re single
Again with the best intentions, people (including your friends) will ask how you’re still single. “You are so pretty—how are you still single?” or “You are so smart—why don’t you have a partner?” That’s not the most fun question to answer at the best of times, since it essentially asks what’s wrong with you? Singletons get this question constantly, but even more so when their friends are all couples.
4. Having to third-wheel
Also having to fifth, seventh, and every other wheel too. It helps if you get along with your friends’ partners and it’s fun to hang out as a group, but being the only dateless person time and time again gets old.
5. Missing out on couple-only events
Sometimes the alternative to third-wheeling is getting left out. Your friends might think that you’ll be uncomfortable being the third wheel yet again and decide it’s couples only. People shouldn’t discriminate against the single life, but they do!
6. Becoming emotionally invested in your friends’ relationships
Since you don’t have a relationship of your own to invest your emotions into, your friends’ relationships might become all the more interesting. You’ll follow the drama like you’re watching reality TV. And for whatever reason, you’ll seem to be the first one they call in to vent their feelings to when things get rocky. But it’s okay because you love your friends and you care like it’s your relationship too.
7. Feeling like it’s hard to relate to your friends
You don’t need to have the same circumstances as someone else to understand them, but being the only single one can make it hard to relate to a group of partnered friends. You might feel weird opening up to them about your dating woes and you might not know how to advise them when they need relationship guidance.
