The Single Person’s Secret to a Fulfilling Life
Agentic single people lead lives of reflection, meaning, and purpose, Kristen Bernhardt found in her research
Authenticity. Living the life that is consistent with who you really are. That’s what matters.
I’m interested in just about all single people, but closest to my heart are the ones I call “single at heart.” For them, being single is how they live their most meaningful and fulfilling life. Authenticity is at the core of it. Single is who they really are. They can try to fit themselves into the standard, expected script by putting a romantic partner at the center of their lives, but if they do that, it is going to be disappointing. That’s the kind of life that gets the most applause, respect, and support, but it is not the life that feeds their soul.
A few years ago, I read a superb thesis, “Party of One,” by Kristen “Edie” Bernhardt. She interviewed single people who were not looking for a lifetime, monogamous partner. I loved what she found so much, I asked her to write about it for the readers of my blog at Psych Central. Now I want to share what she said here at Medium.
One of the many things I appreciate about Bernhardt’s thinking about single people who are not looking to become unsingle is how expansive…
