Have you ever pondered what it takes to be happy? Getting that big promotion at work might be really satisfying. Fairy tales taught us that once you find your prince charming, you ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Perhaps you want to start a family. However, if this is the case, or if you still have relatives approaching you at family gatherings, poking you in the ribs and wondering why you haven’t settled down yet, it may not be such a bad thing after all.
Because unmarried, childless women are the happiest cohort in the population, according to one happiness researcher.According to Paul Dolan, a behavioural science professor at the London School of Economics, single women without children are happier and healthier than their married counterparts. However, it isn’t quite as simple as that. Happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition.
During a discussion at the Hay Festival, Dolan suggested that typical markers of a successful or accomplished life, such as marriage or children, did not always equate to happiness. According to him, “the healthiest and happiest population subgroup are women who have never married or had children.”According to the Independent, Dolan stated that “we do have some good longitudinal data following the same people over time, but I am going to do a massive disservice to that academic science and just say:
if you are a man, you should probably get married; if you are a woman, don’t bother.” Dolan is the bestselling author of Happiness by Design. He references findings from the American Time Use Survey throughout his work. The study asked married, unmarried, divorced, separated, and widowed people about their happiness levels.Dolan did, however, point out that expectations to find a mate, settle down, and have children may cause undue stress or misery.
There is no correct or incorrect method to have a happy life. People should not be stigmatized for wanting to get married and start a family. At the same time, if you don’t want to be asked about your future family plans every time you encounter distant relatives, you shouldn’t be. It’s about doing what makes you happy and deviating from societal norms.