Community can provide belonging. A romantic relationship can provide intimacy and companionship.
Different people simply need different combinations.
What About Aging?
The idea that women become unable to cope without men as they grow older is also misleading.
Older women can continue developing friendships, pursuing interests, volunteering, traveling, working, caring for family, learning new skills, and creating meaningful social networks.
In fact, building a broad support system can be valuable at every age.
A person’s quality of life shouldn’t depend entirely on whether they have a romantic partner.
