In the survey of 5,000 Europeans they discovered singles people don’t need a relationship to be able to carry on with their life: 75% of the UK’s 15 million singles haven’t had any type of relationship in more than 18 months, while over half (52%) have not had anyone special in their life for more than three years.
What’s more, they can’t be accused of being over-optimistic about their prospects: four out ten UK singles (39%) – the highest proportion in Europe – don’t expect to meet a potential partner within the next two years; this makes a startling comparison with single people in Denmark, the most optimistic group in Europe, 82% of whom believe that the next two years will bring true love. That being said, 61% of British singles still rate their chances of meeting someone special as fair to very good.
Bianca Mercer, PARSHIP’s Country Manager UK and Ireland, commented:
Studies have shown that successful people tend to be more likely to believe that they are in control of their life and their future. They also attribute their successes to their own actions. This provides a useful analogy to the search for a partner. If an individual believes that their chances of finding a partner are slim and that they can only rely on fate or chance encounters to meet someone then it follows that they will be less likely to take fate into their own hands and start actively dating. Everyone has their own insecurities but having an overly pessimistic view of the chances of finding a partner can only serve to reduce the chances further. A state of cautious optimism can sometimes be hard to achieve but it can be hugely beneficial – it’s also something that potential partners will value and find attractive.