I bought into the "of course everyone wants a relationship!" narrative for so long, because in this culture, it's just the water we swim in! People assume that if you're single, you're just somehow pathetic and undesireable or there's something wrong with you so you can't hold a relationship together.

Maybe all of that is true of me...but you know what's even more true?

I just don't enjoy the experience of being in a romantic relationship.

Fin.

That's it.

It's not fun for me, and, beyond the heady first few weeks, never has been, so why should I pursue something I don't enjoy? Why should I open myself up to something that has only ever brought trauma and frustration into my life?

It's not that I "hate men" (though I do have some issues with the way our culture does "masculinity") or that I "don't like sex" (I like sex, I just want none of the drama that goes with it). It's just that I don't want a relationship - why put effort toward creating something that makes me miserable?

I wrote about that ephiphany here: https://psiloveyou.xyz/how-i-realized-long-term-romantic-relationships-probably-arent-for-me-fdad5c24c71d

(I may have already linked this on one of your other pieces)