Today’s society has unfortunately made committed, monogamous relationships seem completely out of the norm and super weird, especially if you’re in 20s. Centered on the idea of exploring life, having fun and learning yourself, relationships are so taboo and we’re honestly not quite sure why. Drake hasn’t been much help in defusing this mentality, not to mention just music in general. But it’s even worse when we try to explain why being single is better than being in a relationship (who came up with that, anyway?) or vice versa. Truthfully, there’s nothing wrong or weird or abnormal about either and everyone should just really chill. We don’t really see a reason to worry until about 30 when you haven’t experienced any type of serious relationship – monogamous or not – at all.

Simply put, there are pros and cons to both and the type of person you are really determines whether you can handle a relationship or casually dating. You can learn so much about yourself and others in any space and whatever space you’re currently in, we encourage and challenge you to fully embrace it.

When you’re single and casually dating, you have the freedom of literally doing what you want, when you want and that’s something you should definitely cherish. You can travel anywhere in the world when you want, cook at your own free will and even skip out on a few shaving sessions. When you’re in a full-time, committed, monogamous relationship, you don’t really get these luxuries so enjoy them while you can. Dating several people at simultaneously gives you the chance to really get a good grasp on what you like and what don’t like in a mate. And if you’re a lady, you get to eat good food and do cool stuff at the expense of your new beau. Relationships take work, there’s no denying that. They require a lot of energy in every aspect and when you’re single, that energy can be poured into hobbies, climbing that career ladder, traveling, family, friends and more. Sometimes, it’s good to be alone and not have to think about another person when making decisions. This is one of the very few times in life you’ll be able to do that.

On the flip side, there’s some things that you just won’t learn about yourself or life without being in a committed, monogamous relationship. To be frank, being in a relationship will truly reveal some of your not-so-great qualities and prompt you to take a closer look at how you are and why you’re that way. You’ll be more in tune with the things you know, love and hate about yourself because the person you’re in a relationship with is probably most affected by those things than anyone else in your life. You will also be more inclined to fix those not-so-great qualities because you want to be your best you for your mate. Not to mention, being able to grow in life with someone by your side and giving you genuine feedback is a lot more fun than just winging it by yourself. If you’re not with your current mate forever, you’ve already learned valuable love and life lessons with hands-on experience.

Moral of the story, there’s nothing wrong with being single or taken. Regardless of your status, you can learn a lot that you can carry on with you through life so embrace and enjoy every experience!

Written By: Chey Parker
Contributing Writer for The Bobby Pen
Editor-in-Chief of Everything Girls Love, LLC