This is why single men are unhappier than women who are alone: Psychologists explain the reason

One of the keys to happiness is having strong relationships. It has been touting as one of the key factors in living a longer, more fulfilling life.

Being in a romantic relationship, both men and women technically already have a person with whom they should be able to confide in. However, for singles it’s another story and one of the factors that is believed to be behind the difference in happiness that they experience.

The reason single women are happier than single men

The percentage of Americans that are single has been rising for decades among both men and women. However, according to a Pew Research survey more men are unpartnered, those who are not married nor cohabitating, these days than women compared to in 1990 when the situation was reversed.

The main driver of this growth in singlehood is people who have never married. The study found that this group of Americans, both male and female, generally have worse economic and social outcomes than their married or cohabitating counterparts.

But at the same time, women tend to experience a happier singlehood than men. It is reckoned that this comes down to the strength of the social connections that each gender has. Typically, women develop larger social networks than men, giving them more “go-to” people for emotional support.

Furthermore, women are happier with these social ties than their male counterparts, as well, young men say that they have more difficulty expressing their emotions with friends, according to Psyche.

While men spend time with their social circle through activities, women tend to “engage in intimate conversations during their quality time with friends,” states the outlet.

Women may also have a greater inclination to maintain active connections through social media than men casting a wider and deeper net for an emotional support base. Whereas heterosexual men in general have a tendency to rely exclusively on their wife or girlfriend for emotional and social support.

“For many single women, this could be a critical difference,” says Psyche.

Women no longer have to be the “mother” in a relationship

Additionally, especially for single heterosexual women, they are able to shed the legacy mentality that they are the ones that should take on the role of housekeeper or “mother” in the relationship. They have many more opportunities these days to make a living for themselves without relying on a man to bring home the bacon, so to speak.

On top of that, sexual pleasure for women comes maybe second to what is important for them, which could be why women feel that a relationship is a “net loss” in the scheme of things. But even there, single women report having a more pleasurable sex life than single men.

What should men, and particularly single men, take from this?

Psyche says that men perhaps ”can learn from women’s approach to singlehood.” Society may be pushing a certain idea of masculinity, but they may want to look at “building and maintaining social connections and taking care of themselves.”

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