Bella DePaulo

From acclaimed social scientist Dr. Bella DePaulo, the leading expert on single life, comes groundbreaking, comprehensive confirmation that a powerful, healthy, happy life is possible not in spite of being single, but because of it. All too often society issues dire warnings about the risks of living single. But is finding a spouse or romantic partner really a requirement for a full life? In Single at Heart, Dr. Bella DePaulo speaks on behalf of the millions of people across the globe who are powerfully drawn to single life for all it has to offer and shares what it means to not just be happy being single for a time, but to be happy being single always. This pivotal volume addresses misconceptions about single life head on, spotlighting, celebrating, and supporting those who plan to stay single and sharing research, case studies, anecdotal examples, and more to help family members and friends understand. In richly engaging, evidence-based text, Dr. DePaulo—a Harvard-educated professor and researcher whose Ted Talk on the appeal of staying single has had more that 1.6 million views—supports readers of all genders, ages, and backgrounds who are Single at Heart and advises on topics as diverse as solitude, freedom, intimacy, children, and societal pressure. For Dr. DePaulo, her understanding of herself as Single at Heart provided strength, time, confidence, power, authenticity, deep fulfillment, and more. In Single at Heart she shares what she’s learned as well as the stories of others, in the process inspiring and fueling a movement of people standing up for what is right for them and thriving because of it.

The Power, Freedom, and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life

Single at Heart

Some [single people] seemed clear-minded, but many others seemed to be envisioning what I would think of as the Magical Mythical Romantic Partner. That's the person who is always kind, always attentive, always around when you need them, and always happy to do their share of the work. That's the partner who always wants the same kind and amount of sex that you do, at the same time you do, and who never strays. As a parent, this partner is always present with your children and devoted to them, and the family you have together is free of conflict or cruelty. In later life, the Magical Mythical Romantic Partner is always there when you've fallen and can't get up. This person is there when you need a ride to a medical procedure or need someone to stay with you at the hospital, and is by your side no matter how long your illness lasts. This partner is never sick, and is never sick of you.

Single at Heart quotes

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