Nonsense from this Brit....I know zero people "shamed" into conjugal living out of single celibate "disaster".....some gays 50 years ago may have had "cover marriages" but most women there divorced and made free choices elsewhere

Around 8 billion people are on earth. 4 billion match the gender you want. Take away 2 billion for age discrepancy and you have 2 billion possible matches. Being single is awesome ?, enjoy it. You never know who you will meet ?

I was married at 22, my wife left me after 3 years. I was devastated, had no personal pride or confidence. Luckily, after about 2 years of snivelling, a woman 12 years older than me took me up for a lover. We lived together for 3 years, broke up friendly-both knew it would never work. That woman gave me confidence in myself and a perspective on women I never had. Spent the rest of my 35 years alone for the most part (a disasterous 3 year marriage thrown in to "try" to be normal). Now, I am always good company because I never have to worry about what I say or do as long as it's honest. I cannot hurt anyone's feelings I date because they always know the relationship will never end in marriage from the git-go. I think the video is spot on.

I always have an uneasy reaction to de Botton. He's smart, but somehow lost in his findings.

I have never married. I think it's a high standard that few people meet legitimately, so they meet it with best intentions and live with whatever results they get... or not. That is to say, they choose "marriage" and let the chips fall where they may. Nothing wrong with that. I think I have chosen to try to relate to the people in my life as best I am able, and if any of those relationships grow to the point where it is functioning as I think a marriage should, then I'd be happy to make it official, but so far...

i love the simplicity of living alone, being single. i love friends, and people but being single is fun.

Poppycock. This is a very generalized and superficial one sided look at relationships.