According to stereotypes, women feel empty without a partner, while men are self-sufficient and perfectly content with their friends (and a few pints). However, a recent study has debunked this outdated clich\u00e9. Gentlemen, listen up! Women cope better with being single than men and fully embrace this romantic status.<\/p>\n
In the collective imagination, women dream of eternal love, marriage, and shared projects. Men, on the other hand, are more comfortable with their independence<\/a> , absorbed in their careers or adventures.<\/p>\n But this view doesn't hold up well to scrutiny. A recent study has just challenged these deeply ingrained stereotypes: single women are, on average, more fulfilled in their situation than men. This finding invites us to rethink how we view single life<\/a> .<\/p>\n These findings come from research conducted by psychologists Elaine Hoan and Geoff MacDonald of the University of Toronto. Published in the scientific journal Social Psychological and Personality Science,the study<\/a> examined the well-being of single people.<\/p>\n Researchers analyzed data from nearly 6,000 people across ten different studies. The participants, with an average age of 32, were not in a relationship at the time of the survey. The sample included an almost equal number of men and women, as well as a few non-binary individuals.<\/p>\n And the results are conclusive: on almost all the indicators studied, women report being more satisfied with their single status than men. For them, being single is not a flaw, much less a failure, but rather an opportunity for introspection.<\/p>\n For a long time, single women suffered from numerous stereotypes: that of the shrew surrounded by her cats, the career-driven employee, the "old maid". Viewed as an anomaly in a society that equates happiness with marriage and family, she did not have a good reputation.<\/p>\n But today, being a single woman<\/a> is no longer a source of shame or an anomaly. It's a time for rediscovering oneself, for asserting oneself, exploring new hobbies, stepping outside one's comfort zone, and learning more about oneself. From their perspective, single life has almost a spiritual dimension. Men, however, can't say the same. Single life is a silent torture, and they truly endure this period of emotional inactivity.<\/p>\n Why this difference between men and women? Researchers propose several hypotheses. The first concerns social networks. Women often tend to maintain more numerous and deeper support relationships outside of romantic relationships. Strong friendships, family ties, circles of trust: these connections help fulfill some of their emotional and affective needs.<\/p>\n In this context, being in a couple is no longer the sole source of closeness or comfort. Therefore, being single is not seen as isolation but as another way of organizing one's social life.<\/p>\n Another factor mentioned is that heterosexual relationships are still marked by imbalances. In many couples, women continue to shoulder a significant portion of domestic tasks and the mental load. This reality can make life as a couple less appealing than one might imagine.<\/p>\n For men, the situation appears to be different. Researchers point out that many of them rely more heavily on their romantic relationships to fulfill their emotional needs. In some cases, the couple becomes their primary source of emotional support. When this relationship is absent, feelings of loneliness can therefore be more pronounced.<\/p>\n This obviously doesn't mean that all men struggle with being single, nor that all women thrive in it. But the overall trend reveals an interesting difference in how each person constructs their personal equilibrium. Ultimately, if men suffer more, it's because being in a couple is their only space for self-expression. And that's a heavy legacy of patriarchy, which, in trying to create strong men, has created traumas.<\/p>\n Perhaps the real lesson of this study lies here: being single isn't a waiting room for love. For many, it's simply one way of life among many. And Bridget Jones was the first to prove it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to stereotypes, women feel empty without a partner, while men are self-sufficient and perfectly content with their...","protected":false},"author":8340,"featured_media":436428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_msn":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5717],"tags":[97833,97333],"class_list":["post-436425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vie-amoureuse","tag-actu","tag-couple"],"image":{"medium":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/femme-celibat-200x113.jpg",200,113,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/femme-celibat-500x281.jpg",500,281,true]},"custom":{"td_video":"","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/femme-celibat.jpg","author":{"name":"\u00c9milie Laurent","avatar":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-2f5d8c00d5d5c27f8ce4d9b3f9015467-96x96.png"},"categories":[{"term_id":5717,"name":"Love life","slug":"vie-amoureuse","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5885,"taxonomy":"category","description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","parent":6135,"count":709,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5717,"category_count":709,"category_description":" The Love life section of The Body Optimist unpacks relationships in all their forms: dating, attraction, life as a couple, jealousy, breakups and being single. Advice from therapists, psychological insights and personal stories help you build healthy, balanced relationships, with no pressure to couple up and no one-size-fits-all model.<\/p>\n Getting over a breakup takes time, and the pain often feels like grief: sadness, anger, nostalgia and relief can take turns. A few steps help you through it: limit contact with your ex and the urge to check their social media, put away objects that stir up memories, lean on friends and family rather than isolating yourself, get back to your routines (sleep, meals, movement) and reinvest in activities that are yours alone. Writing down what you feel helps put your thoughts in order. If the sadness lasts for weeks and keeps you from functioning day to day, a therapist can help you move forward.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t see being in a couple as a goal to reach: single, exclusive, living together without marrying or in a decades-long relationship, every path deserves to be told without judgment. Our articles reject the idea that you need to change your body to be loved, and remind you that excessive jealousy and control are never proof of love. They speak to all couples, straight and LGBTQIA+, and offer guidance without claiming to replace couples therapy or psychological support.<\/p>\n A relationship becomes toxic when one partner controls, belittles or isolates the other: checking their phone, constant criticism, emotional blackmail, swinging between passionate declarations and coldness. \u201cNarcissist\u201d gets used loosely online, but narcissistic personality disorder is a clinical diagnosis: focus on behaviors rather than labels. If you\u2019re facing violence, contact a domestic violence hotline or your local emergency services.<\/p>\n Developed by American marriage counselor Gary Chapman, the five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch. The idea is that each person tends to express and receive affection in a preferred way. It\u2019s a popular framework for avoiding misunderstandings, not a scientifically validated theory.<\/p>\n Connections often grow out of activities you repeat over time: a sports club, a choir, a community group, volunteering, evening classes. Say yes to invitations, let friends introduce you to their circle, and start conversations around a shared interest. The goal isn\u2019t to impress at all costs but to create more chances to connect.<\/p>\n Keep exploring: find all our sex and relationship topics<\/a>, pleasure and sexual health in Sexuality<\/a>, wedding planning and anniversaries in Marriage<\/a>, and tools to stand your ground in Self-confidence<\/a>.<\/p>","cat_name":"Love life","category_nicename":"vie-amoureuse","category_parent":6135}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=436425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":436431,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/436425\/revisions\/436431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=436425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=436425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ma-grande-taille.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=436425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} Female celibacy, a space of freedom<\/h2>\n
Male celibacy, a more discreet challenge<\/h2>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n
What you\u2019ll find in the Love life section<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you get over a breakup?<\/h2>\n
Our take on love<\/h2>\n
Where to start<\/h2>\n
\n
Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
How can you tell if a relationship is toxic?<\/h3>\n
What are the five love languages?<\/h3>\n
How can you meet someone without dating apps?<\/h3>\n