Choosing Not To Live With Your Partner

Living together has long been seen as one of the most important steps in a relationship. In our society, sharing your space, routines and in some cases money and material things is a sign that you have a solid relationship. However, is it also possible not to live with your partner and still have a good relationship? Read on to find out!

More and more people nowadays choose to postpone the decision to live together. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t in a stable relationship. It seems that this is because some people like to live alone. However, that’s not the only reason someone might decide to make that choice.

According to a number of recent studies, this is a global trend, at least in the western world. In other words, it is not specific to any particular country or region. About 35% of people who live alone feel they are in a stable romantic relationship, even though they do not live with their partner.

Those numbers don’t differ much for men and women. Women score only 1% higher in this area. The only number that seems crucial here is age. While it may surprise you at first, it seems that older people are actually less affected by the social pressures to move in with their partner.

The trend of not living together by age

Among people aged 51 and older entering into a new romantic relationship, only 22% say they plan to move in with their current partner in the future. Most of them find it very important to maintain their current lifestyle, as long as it does not affect their relationship.

Also, about half of people aged 31 to 40 in stable relationships say they plan to move in with their partner within the next two years. At a younger age, couples don’t immediately see living together as a crucial part of their relationship. They also put their career and personal development ahead of cohabitation.

What are the reasons people don’t want to live with their partners?

Something that plays a big role in this choice is whether someone has lived with a partner before. People who have done so prefer not to live with their new partner.

Experience tells us that when the partners live alone, they feel more free in the relationship. They have the space to build friendships beyond the boundaries of their relationship. They also feel less pressured for household chores and sharing finances.

Partners who do not live together say they like their privacy without losing the sense of intimacy with each other. Many of them find that it is also much less intense when they break up.

Long-term relationships

Interestingly, this new way of looking at relationships doesn’t seem to affect the quality or duration of the relationship. A very high percentage of people are still living together after 12 years apart.

It may also be that the idea of ​​”finding a mate,” which was a major social pressure for previous generations, is beginning to change. Everything seems to point to the idea that our views on romantic relationships are changing in many ways right now.

A new look at relationships

This new take on romantic relationships is still evolving. Those who have experienced it in real life say it has given them a sense of freedom, both in terms of choice and the opportunity for personal and professional growth, compared to people in traditional marriages.

It’s also worth noting that the concept of a relationship, or how we perceive it and what we think it is, is subjective. That means that many people do not agree with this new perspective. Ultimately, it all depends on the specific band and the specific partners.

Here’s some food for thought: Is this how we’re going to see relationships in the future? Is cohabitation only meant to start a family? Do we see the first clear difference between the desire to have a partner and the desire to start a family?

That last question doesn’t seem too far off from the first question at the moment. The truth is that many people want a long-term relationship, but they don’t want to start a family (yet). There is no denying it: our society is currently undergoing some profound changes.