Been single since 2019 pretty much no matter what I do. I've made some new friends, often try new activities and hobbies, and get out as much as I possibly can when I'm free and not working, yet most of the activities I do, even co-ed ones like volleyball, have only afforded me to meet men and married women. I frankly can't recall the last time I've met a single woman around my age who I was attracted to. Just doesn't happen for me. So I rely on dating apps nowadays, but I don't get any matches. I've revamped my profiles, taken all new photos, etc. but it hasn't amounted to anything. I've had a few occasional matches, but not one of them has ever responded or shown any interest in actually communicating or setting up a date. Been unmatched and left on read too many times to count. Frankly, I don't quite know what else I can do differently. I've put in so much time and effort in trying to meet women and not one single thing has worked out for me. It's safe to say I'm pretty damn close to giving up and will be soon going to therapy to deal with how horrendous my mental health has become. Seems like everyone around me in my life has no issue meeting women and dating. All of my friends and colleagues use dating apps and have no problem. I feel like an alien. Answer from NobodiKnowz on reddit.com
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emotive
sarahnazim.com › blogs › news › what-does-it-mean-to-be-perpetually-single
What Does It Mean To Be Perpetually Single | Emotive Coaching – emotive
This doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be in one. Instead, it means that you are incredibly selective of who you give your time and energy to. There are both beautiful parts of being a perpetually-single person and not so beautiful parts.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/dating › is anyone else here perpetually single, what's your story?
r/dating on Reddit: Is anyone else here perpetually single, what's your story?
June 15, 2023 -

Doesn't matter if I go out or stay in I stay single. Everything I've tried to force has made me miserable so now I'm chilling and got absolutely nothing going on. Anyone else in the same boat?

Edit: seems like we all got some similar themes: trauma from past relationships, lacking social skills , and just coming to the conclusion that the pain is really not worth the effort without some gain.

Top answer
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66
Been single since 2019 pretty much no matter what I do. I've made some new friends, often try new activities and hobbies, and get out as much as I possibly can when I'm free and not working, yet most of the activities I do, even co-ed ones like volleyball, have only afforded me to meet men and married women. I frankly can't recall the last time I've met a single woman around my age who I was attracted to. Just doesn't happen for me. So I rely on dating apps nowadays, but I don't get any matches. I've revamped my profiles, taken all new photos, etc. but it hasn't amounted to anything. I've had a few occasional matches, but not one of them has ever responded or shown any interest in actually communicating or setting up a date. Been unmatched and left on read too many times to count. Frankly, I don't quite know what else I can do differently. I've put in so much time and effort in trying to meet women and not one single thing has worked out for me. It's safe to say I'm pretty damn close to giving up and will be soon going to therapy to deal with how horrendous my mental health has become. Seems like everyone around me in my life has no issue meeting women and dating. All of my friends and colleagues use dating apps and have no problem. I feel like an alien.
2 of 108
25
Single woman, late 30s, I’ve had a few short term relationships 3-6 months only a couple times in my life. Online dating feels like work, needs time invested and isn’t exciting. I’ve never gone past a second date from anyone I met online. I have hobbies and activities I really like that coincidentally don’t involve meeting guys. Also, I work remotely. To be honest, I don’t feel lonely. I have a fulfilling, dynamic life, and the ups and downs of a relationship are not something I miss. Like…it would be nice to have someone, sure, my lack of success online dating has made it be such a low priority on my list. The more time passes, the more it feels like some fantasy, and instead I choose to focus on my life and my reality.
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Thought Catalog
thoughtcatalog.com › random
10 Reasons You’re Perpetually Single | Thought Catalog
March 4, 2025 - No one makes it a goal to be single forever. We all want love; we all want a partner to share our lives with. Even though that is the goal, a lot of us mistakenly go about attaining the thing we want so much in all the wrong ways.
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She's SINGLE Magazine
shessinglemag.com › blogs › sex-relationships › perpetually-single-what-does-it-really-mean
Perpetually Single: What Does It Really Mean | She's SINGLE Magazine
February 15, 2023 - I am realistic in knowing that ... singlehood.” A perpetually single person demands a true connection before they choose to open up and share their feelings or thoughts....
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Mark Manson
markmanson.net › home › 3 simple explanations for why you're still single
3 Simple Explanations for Why You're Still Single
February 8, 2023 - Learn to appreciate some people’s imperfections. Learn to appreciate and improve upon your own. Otherwise you’re going to be single (and angry) for a very long time. A lot of people are great “on paper” daters. What I mean by that is that they go on dates regularly.
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Elite Daily
elitedaily.com › relationships
The Ugly, The Bad And The Good Of Being Perpetually Single
May 26, 2015 - A perpetually-single person is someone who is never in a relationship. This person has managed to skip over the awkward high school romances, and defied expectations by not meeting someone in college. They've always known the single life.
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Quora
quora.com › Why-are-you-the-perpetual-single-girl-Is-it-that-you-love-the-single-life-or-just-havent-met-the-right-one
Why are you the 'perpetual single girl'? Is it that you love the single life or just haven't met the right one? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Oh, because men are put into my life by people, and not for good reasons. All they want to do is take me down they do what you’re told and they act like they care about me but they really don’t Most of them are nurses, which means they have a sick with thinking, and they are on...
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Love on Purpose
loveonpurpose.com › home › tired of being single
So You’ve Chosen To Be Perpetually Single? 7 Lessons To Take From People Who Chose Singlehood - Love on Purpose
February 19, 2025 - Choosing to be perpetually single means you don’t have a secret desire to fall madly in love with someone… someday. These people aren’t licking their wounds or wishing and hoping someone would show up out of the blue to change their life (like in a movie).
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Quora
quora.com › How-can-I-come-to-terms-with-being-perpetually-single-and-not-let-it-define-me
How to come to terms with being perpetually single and not let it define me - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): I do want to make something clear before I begin. Being single isn’t a curse. Being single does have advantages and disadvantages compared to being married. I am single and have been married, and there are good and bad things about both. How to come to terms with being single is...
Find elsewhere
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NYTimes
nytimes.com › 2025 › 09 › 05 › magazine › forever-single-relationships-love-submissions.html
How Has Being Perpetually Single Affected Your Life? - The New York Times
September 5, 2025 - I’m researching an article on the experience of being perpetually single, a phenomenon that tends to affect women more than men. I’d like to talk to women over 30 who have never had a serious relationship. I want to know: How has your approach to dating evolved?
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single. - YouTube
Are you that person who’s always single? Well, you might relate to some of these potential reasons you’re single. Have a listen and see which ones resonate w...
Published   August 7, 2024
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Huffington Post
huffingtonpost.co.uk › lizzie-jones › why-its-okay-to-be-perpetually-single_b_8913586.html
Why It's Okay To Be Perpetually Single | HuffPost UK Life
January 4, 2017 - If you met someone that you wanted to be with, you would both find a way to make it work, the fact that you're still single doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you, it just means that you haven't met the person that is worth settling down with.
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Asexual Visibility and Education Network
asexuality.org › identities › the gray area, sex and related discussions
Are you also perpetually single and wishing you weren't? - The Gray Area, Sex and Related Discussions - Asexual Visibility and Education Network
November 4, 2024 - I don't have a label for me. I have a crush of some kind maybe every five years or so. I enjoy sex but don't usually feel attraction. When I do feel sexual attraction it's usually without any romantic interest. I've also had one or two romantic crushes where I had no desire to engage with someone...
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YourTango
yourtango.com › self
Psychology Says There's 4 Commonly Repeated Habits Of Perpetually Single People | Mary Jo Rapini | YourTango
November 18, 2024 - More and more, I am surrounded by women over 35 years of age who want to get married but cannot find a suitable partner. They have heard the best places to go for singles over 35, have been set up on numerous blind dates, have joined online dating, and still don’t have a ring on their finger.
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emotive
sarahnazim.com › blogs › news › 7-misconceptions-about-perpetually-single-women
7 Misconceptions About The 'Perpetually Single Woman' | Emotive – emotive
Setting standards for what you will and won't accept, ensures that you take care of yourself regardless of who enters or leaves your life. Having standards doesn’t mean “perfect," it means being aware of what you will and won’t tolerate. Truth be told, perpetually single women are largely self-aware, authentic, honest, intelligent, career driven, loving, and the list goes on.
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Bustle
bustle.com › life
5 Big Things I've Learned From Being Perpetually Single
June 21, 2016 - If you think about it, there are no answers to why some people stay single for years and others never experience single life. As much as I hate to give it to fate, you kind of have to. You can’t will yourself to love, and your friends really do mean well when they try to help you out.
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Beyond Blue
forums.beyondblue.org.au › t5 › relationship-and-family-issues › 43-and-perpetually-single › td-p › 501373
43 and perpetually single - Beyond Blue Forums - 501373
December 16, 2019 - Im 43 and have never had a single relationship. I’ve never had sex. I’ve had a single blind date over 10yrs ago. I feel ashamed, humiliated and am in fear people will find out. I lie about it. I have down pat stories ready to go of an exboyfriend, longterm relationship and how it ended, loosing my virginity and other life stories that everyone else has.
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Helpful Professor
helpfulprofessor.com › home › 10 reasons you’re perpetually single
10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single (2025)
August 30, 2024 - The fear of commitment can keep people from entering into relationships. They might worry about losing their independence or fear the vulnerability that comes with being close to someone.
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Amanda Whitworth
amandawhitworth.com › writings › hereishowyoudate
Here is how you date. Tips from the girl who is perpetually single — Amanda Whitworth
January 27, 2023 - Basically, someone I hump and then spend a few hours eating food and talking with and then we go about our own independent way. But he called my bluff and reminded me that this isn’t really me and what I truly long for is what most long for, a meaningful partnership where I am loved for my unique weirdness.