Love is everywhere. Every song, film, TV show, and book has got some kind of romance in it. Who can blame them?

And that much representation of romance can really get to our heads, as some of you might know.

Call it loneliness, relationship anxiety, or impulse. This is often what happens with young people, or people who don’t know how to be happy single. All those movies and songs do a pretty good job making us think that a relationship is what’ll make us happy – even if that’s not really what they’re trying to say.

But that’s totally off the mark, and a lot of people think so.

First of all, relationships aren’t all sunshine and roses. It’s one thing to be attracted to each other, it’s another to be emotionally and mentally prepared. Things can get ugly, out of hand, or out of control, and it can happen when you least expect it.

That’s how break-ups happen. It’s not like you weren’t told about this already, right? What do you think Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, and Gotye were singing about?

People aren’t kidding when they tell you that a relationship isn’t something to just jump into.

When you want to go on a big road trip, you’d better be ready to pay for lots of gas, change a flat tire, and drive even when you’re tired. If you’re not prepared to do any of those things, then maybe a long road trip isn’t for you.

You should know yourself before you try and get to know someone new. That’s something most of us skimp over a bit too often.

There’s also the problem of time and sacrifice.

Everyone wants the lovey-dovey, sunshine, and flowers of a relationship, but a bit of sacrifice and commitment ends up being too much for them. Don’t walk into a relationship expecting your partner to magically make your mental health and life better.

That’s not their job.

You definitely wouldn’t want to bear the burden of fixing everything in your partner’s life, so it’s not really a fair thing to expect from them either, is it?

Sure, there might be a few folks who’ve done these life-saving, massive favors for their partner. But that doesn’t mean it’s to be expected. So don’t look for a special someone and expect them to play therapist for you.

How’s someone else supposed to give you what you want, if you don’t even know what you want either?

Spending some time alone can do wonders. It’ll help you come to your senses, especially over what you actually want and need. It’ll also teach you to be at peace, and learn to be happy single. If you’re not happy single, you won’t be happy in a relationship either.

It’s a tired saying, but it’s still true.

In fact, ask the single people yourself. While a lot of people might think that singles aren’t as happy as couples, a few statistics show otherwise. A literature survey did exactly that, and it found that single people are way happier than people presume them to be. Like, a lot.

When people were asked if they think single people are as happy as people in a relationship, the assumption they’d give was a big ol’ “No, I don’t think they are”. Though when the single people themselves were asked, quite a lot of them said that they were perfectly happy.

In fact, just as happy as the couples.

Quite a few people have the wrong idea, to put it simply. The longer you stay happy single, the better your future relationships might turn out to be. Let the data and the more experienced folks speak for themselves!

Don’t fret that you don’t have a special someone yet. When that day finally comes, you’ll be thankful that you took the time to be ready for it – because it really does take a lot of time. If this article piqued your interest, then please share it with someone else too!

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Source: Thought Catalog, Time