As single people, we’re often pitied or seen as living half a life. We’re just incomplete puzzles desperately searching for the missing piece to make us whole.   But what if the risk is not what we’ll miss out on if we don’t organise our lives around a romantic partner, but what we’ll miss out on if we do?   Today, Jill speaks to Dr Bella DePaulo – the world’s leading thinker on the single experience about her research, which shows that for millions of people in every corner of the globe, being single is actually the key to thriving and living their best life.   And contrary to popular cultural assumptions, those who embrace their single status, grow happier as they age.   Dr DePaulo is a professor of psychology with a PhD from Harvard, she’s 70, has always been single, and says she always will be.   She’s the author of Single at Heart: The Power, Freedom, and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life. Her TEDx Talk, “What no one ever told you about people who are single,” has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.   You can learn more about her at her website, www.BellaDePaulo.com or follow her on Instagram @bellasingleatheart To stay in touch with Well Enough Alone, you can follow us on Instagram @wellenoughalonepod or @jillstark__ or support the show and get subscriber-only early access to episodes on Patreon.   Well Enough Alone is a Spare Room production. Our producers are Kieran Simpson and Trent Bartlett.       Get early access to new episodes by subscribing on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.