Living alone vs the alternative

Tesco Massacre

Kind of an interesting piece on the increasing numbers of people who are choosing to live alone:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/30/the-rise-of-solo-living

I've both lived with people and alone (admittedly only for a short period) and I can see the attraction and downsides of both. I enjoyed living on my own for a few months last year, but I found it lonely after a spell...I can't see myself making a habit of it anyway.

What do the lovely people of AH think? Do you live with someone, but would prefer to be alone? Does the thought of being on your own long-term cause you untold psychic distress? Or do you live alone, like your own space and would like to keep it that way? Would you like me to stop asking personal questions?

Anyway, what say you?

uch

I'll have the alternative please

pragmatic1

I like living on my own unless they're family or I'm ****in them.

chin_grin

pragmatic1 wrote: »

I like living on my own unless they're family or I'm ****in them.

You **** your family?

Tesco Massacre

Five posts in and we're talking about incest already.

MrJoeSoap

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Does the thought of being on your own long-term cause you untold psychic distress?

asked "Tesco Massacre"...

jimmycrackcorm

Depends on whether you have enough money to afford prostitutes or have to make do with the wife...

policarp

Bachelor or Former Taoiseach. . .

Your choice. . .

Chuck Stone

I'm here for the incestuous gang bang.

im invisible

Bachelors or Heinz?

pragmatic1

Tesco Massacre wrote: »

Five posts in and we're talking about incest already.

"or" would be an important word in that statement. But lol anyway.

uch

Beans or up the Gicker? mmm......
I'll take a portion of beans please

gurramok

Here's the real fact of living on your own.

You need your own privacy at times(yes) but having that day in day out without any friends or family visiting can damage you long term. Think of it like an elderly person whose only visit is home help once a week or talking to the cat or dog on a regular basis, you'd crack up.

Humans need each other company now and then, its human nature

amacachi

I'd only be worried about living alone when pushing 50.

troposphere

Lived alone before and hated it. Any of the older people I know who live alone like to hit the bottle probably from the boredom.

ToddyDoody

Its said we do things we wish others would do. I live alone and if i do live with someone else i really dont want to do so because i need a 'crutch'. (or at least not to any great extent) i dont necessarily pride myself on that fact but what's very important to me is that whoever i might live with doesnt treat me as a crutch to any great extent.. And hence get trapped in a relationship thats more fear based than anything else.

take everything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eM9dRjjLfI

krudler

If you can afford it, living alone is awesome, I cant anymore so am moving in with friends, but when I can I'll do it again, its great having your own space

DEFTLEFTHAND

Nobody likes living with strangers, there's nothing worse than sharing a gaff with a couple of weird beards who don't talk and get drunk.

Sandwlch

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Nobody likes living with strangers, there's nothing worse than sharing a gaff with a couple of weird beards who don't talk and get drunk.

So you do like to live with wierd beards that you know, who talk, and do get drunk ?

Immaculate Pasta

Good article.

I've yet to experience living alone yet although I really want to. I'm leaving uni in a couple of months and have experienced the living with friends thing. I really want to find a job, get my own place and make my own way in the world.

I've had good housemates and I've enjoyed it but I'm not sure I want to do it again. I feel limited living with other people. I think if you're happy with your housemates, you're less likely to socialise outside of your group, less likely to go out because your friends are already at home. I find it sometimes quite isolating if your friends are in the living room and if you don't want to join them you feel trapped in your own house which I don't really like because if you leave the house you end up feeling obliged to say where you're going and inviting them along.

I feel I'm done living with friends. I've enjoyed it but when I have a full time job I think I'll enjoy it less so. I know someone who's 29 and still doing the same thing I'm doing. Living in a house of 4/5 people and still living like students. The things he complains about, like someone leaving the heating one etc., is something I don't really want to be complaining about in 7 years time. The next time I'd like to live with someone is hopefully going to be my future wife.

I think living on your own arguably makes you socialise more because you have to make more of an effort. (Alternatively you could become a hermit but I'd want to avoid that if I can!) I have a relation who has a flat in London and just comes and goes as she pleases and say she's barely in. She's out at work then always off socialising in the evening. That's the life I'd like to experience for a bit. I can get a place. Make the place my own. Decorate, furnish it however I like. Being fully independent so to speak. :cool:

Potential-Monke

Depends on the type of person you are. I've lived with people and alone. Living with a good friend can be epic, especially if ye have the same interests and sense of humour. On the flip side, living with someone who's a bore/completely different would clash and cause problems.

Living with a partner will give you a true understanding of your relationship and will either solidify or end the relationship.

I prefer living alone, but only barely. And i do alot of online gaming with friends so it's technically not alone at times.

Love being able to walk around in the nip when i want, without having to worry about another restraining order. :pac:

Also, you never really know someone until you live with them.

juan.kerr

im invisible wrote: »

Bachelors or Heinz?

Beanz meanz Heinz. Although I am partial to Bachelors also.

chrismon

Cooking for one is boring.

Kiera

I live alone and love it. I've shared with some complete weirdos and would never rent a room out for fear I'd get another.

Paddy Cow

If I could afford it I would live on my own.

batm!ke

I lived with 5 people before, I would have been someone who enjoyed my own space but you get used to it. I knew them all so it helped. After 2 years myself and the lad who got on the best went and got our own place for 3 years and then I met the missus and living with her now. Now THAT takes getting used to! A lot different from living with a mate.

Born to Die

I have lived alone for nearly 20 years now, I love it.

Jacster

Living abroad and dont really know many people. Girlfirend and I moved in together but it didnt work out. Splitting up and shes moving out in a few weeks leaving me living alone in the gaff.
First of all paying double rent will be an absolute slayer.
Secondly and certaintly worse, living alone in a foreign place will be rough.
Think ill take a hit, break the contract and move bank into shared accomodation.
Its better to whinge about housemates and have something to talk about than staring at four walls wondering how the hell youd ended up here.

Mr.Biscuits

Nelson Mandela lived alone for years and was only when he started living with his mrs again that he cracked up.

mrsdewinter

Meh. I live alone and I find it ok. I'm not sure I could go back to rows with flatmates about whose turn it is to buy toilet paper.

OneArt

I feel like I live alone! I have one housemate but we hardly see much of each other (although I do hear him constantly hacking up phlegm, I'm worried he's going to drop dead and then I'll have to pay the full rent). Basically we have completely different schedules and I work at home so I'm alone most of the time.

Friend of mine's moving to Dusseldorf soon though, and she's leaving me her apartment. Dirt cheap studio flat with a balcony. Ironically I'll probably be seeing people more because one of my other good friends lives in the same building, but it will be nice to have my own place and if I don't want anyone to bother me I can just pretend I'm not home.

I really miss living with friends. Spent two years in Dublin doing it and when I first came to Germany I crashed with another guy I knew for a few weeks. I never want to live with strangers again though. Either friends or on my own.

I can't wait until I can walk around the place naked though...

Tesco Massacre

Immaculate Pasta wrote: »

I think living on your own arguably makes you socialise more because you have to make more of an effort. (Alternatively you could become a hermit but I'd want to avoid that if I can!) I have a relation who has a flat in London and just comes and goes as she pleases and say she's barely in. She's out at work then always off socialising in the evening. That's the life I'd like to experience for a bit. I can get a place. Make the place my own. Decorate, furnish it however I like. Being fully independent so to speak. :cool:

That's a good point actually.

You do have to put yourself out a bit more if you're on your own and don't have friends close by. But it's a good thing in many ways.

paddyandy

I seem to need a certain amount of contact with people and i wonder why ? An emptiness ...that's in all humanity .A man said years ago that he did'nt mind being alone as long as he had a good book to read......that's not truly being 'alone' i think .Simulated presences .

holystungun9

chin_grin wrote: »

You **** your family?

Typical crude AH response. :mad:




















We make love. :pac:

Latchy

There is a big difference between been alone and been lonely and while I don't live alone and haven't done so for many years ,I also like having time and space to myself ,as opposed to having somebody around 24/7 and can easy shut myself off for a few days ( if the mood takes) but with family and friends ,one is never alone so it's all about getting the balance right for me .

Sephiroth_dude

When I can Afford to move,I'll definitely be living on my own

Dudess

One other person, who's independent, is the ideal IMO. I wouldn't like there to be nobody there at all ever, but I like it a lot of the time.

kowloon

My housemates all cleared out one year for the Easter holidays (Student town).
I had no reason to leave the house as I had work to catch up on and there was nobody left in town. Didn't like it one bit.
Even when all our annoying habits clash, I still prefer having people in the house.

Gummy Panda

Kiera wrote: »

I live alone and love it. I've shared with some complete weirdos and would never rent a room out for fear I'd get another.

Are you sure they didn't think you were the mad one?

boomtown123

I would prefer to live alone! My housemates are horrible

44leto

Its alright I have my 24 cats and 10 dogs to keep me company.

Latchy

By the wai...decomposed bodies don't count as company :pac:

/retch... opens window for some fresh air

Born to Die

Latchy wrote: »

By the wai...decomposed bodies don't count as company :pac:

/retch... opens window for some fresh air

I have a feeling you are not joking.

/calls Gardaí

44leto

Latchy wrote: »

By the wai...decomposed bodies don't count as company :pac:

/retch... opens window for some fresh air

How about my friend that are handcuffed and locked in the basement.

Dudess

gurramok wrote: »

Here's the real fact of living on your own.

You need your own privacy at times(yes) but having that day in day out without any friends or family visiting can damage you long term. Think of it like an elderly person whose only visit is home help once a week or talking to the cat or dog on a regular basis, you'd crack up.

That's not "the real fact of living on your own" - it's only the case if you can't leave your home and nobody visits you. What about those who are living alone and head off to meet people/have people visit them in the evenings/at weekends?

amacachi wrote: »

I'd only be worried about living alone when pushing 50.

Why that age?

Jacster wrote: »

Living abroad and dont really know many people. Girlfirend and I moved in together but it didnt work out. Splitting up and shes moving out in a few weeks leaving me living alone in the gaff.
First of all paying double rent will be an absolute slayer.
Secondly and certaintly worse, living alone in a foreign place will be rough.
Think ill take a hit, break the contract and move bank into shared accomodation.
Its better to whinge about housemates and have something to talk about than staring at four walls wondering how the hell youd ended up here.

Aw that sucks - certainly crappy circumstances can affect your perspective on something like living arrangements. Yeah, go for it - find a house-share. Good luck!

Born to Die

44leto wrote: »

How about my friend that are handcuffed and locked in the basement.

Fcuk all these calls

/ emails thread link to Garda HQ

Latchy

Born to Die wrote: »

I have a feeling you are not joking.

/calls Gardaí

Well if they are looking for an old woman who died ... er ..peacfully in her sleep , they won't find her here .

/sprays last of arosol can around room

44leto wrote: »

How about my friend that are handcuffed and locked in the basement.

If they are smokers then sorry ... No

Dudess

44leto wrote: »

How about my friend that are handcuffed and locked in the basement.

The one you make rub in the lotion?

Princess Peach

I live with housemates but we're not really friends and we never hang out together and all just stay to ourselves so its kinda like living alone except when they are loud or hogging the bathroom/kitchen/washing machine. Def the cheapest option though!

Would prefer to live alone or with housemates I was friends with.

Elvis_Presley

They say a picture says a thousand words. I'll let you guess what my answer to this question is.

Third one says it all. I cleaned everywhere about 4 days ago.