Despite what many people think, your twenties are honestly the perfect time to be single. These are the years you are growing into your own person, adjusting to the new world of adulthood and being exposed to things you never have been exposed to before.
You are living on your own, exploring new cities, interacting with all different types of people -- all while gaining new experiences. How are you supposed to fully invest in yourself during this time if you spend it preoccupied with someone else?
Of course, people won't agree with me, but this is my personal outlook of what I learned by being single in my twenties. Hopefully you can relate and, if not, I'll see you in the comment section.
1. Calling a guy nice should be a compliment rather than an insult
2. After a while, it's not as bad as it's perceived to be
3. Over-analyzing text messages is the quickest way to drive yourself crazy
4. The best response is typically no response
5. You always have to pay for dinner… even if it's not in cash
6. Conversation is the most important factor
7. ...Aside from sex
8. Just because someone loves you does not mean that person understands you
9. You should always be your number one priority, no matter how often your relationship status fluctuates
10. If he's too good to be true, ignore the truth until you can't any longer and promise to learn better the next time
11. Don't overlook your friends for a guy
12. A steady rotation is never a bad thing
13. However, it gets really awkward when those in the rotation meet one another
14. You will not find your soul mate via a dating app
15. However you will download and delete dating apps at least three times before realizing this
16. It doesn't matter how many pairs of flats you purchase, he will never get any taller
17. There are certain people who make better lovers than partners
18. Exes are your exes for a reason
19. If you go digging for dirt, you'll find it and you'll regret it every f*cking time
20. If you think he's just not that into you, well then he probably is just not that into you
21. You can't always listen to everyone's advice, you have to go with your gut
22. However, your family can often times give you the best advice
23. Being positive will make you a happier person
24. Casual sex can and will be fun, but the eventual love making can be even better
25. Being independent or thrown into a tough situation is the best way to grow into yourself
26. Sometimes you don't know what you don't like until you come into contact with it
27. Cry hard about something that upset you and never cry about the same thing again
28. It's perfectly okay to stay in on the weekends with your best friend, watch "Law & Order" and complain about how single you both are
29. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
30. Exercise for yourself not for someone else
31. Cheaters usually repeat their mistakes
32. Don't try and be someone you're not
33. Do not cyber stalk the sh*t out of the other person before going on a date -- getting to know the other person is the point of the date
34. Trying new things and having fun is the best way to figure out what it is that you want
35. Don't purposely lead people on, it's just cruel
36. How to assemble your own furniture
37. It's beyond beneficial to carry a mini hair brush in your purse on a night out, oh and concealer
38. There is nothing a Jimmy John's sandwich can't cure
39. Boys are not worth wasting a day's makeup over
40. You discover who your die-hard friends are
41. Not every relationship you get involved in is going to be "the relationship"
42. Physical age doesn't guarantee maturity
43. Batteries control every important electronic aspect of your life
44. Friendships can be your most intense relationships
45. Don't complain about something or someone you're putting up with
46. Looks are far from everything
47. People don't change and it's rude to try and make them because of selfish reasons
48. You can't rush what's meant to be
49. When you give certain men an inch, they will take a yard
50. How freeing it is not to have to answer to anyone
51. Your phone battery will last a lot longer without a boyfriend
52. There's never a good enough reason for a seven-scroll text message
53. You don't need a boy to define you
54. Receiving "heyyyy" after 1 am means he's trying to f*ck you, not date you
55. You need to create a happy medium between eating your feelings and burning them off
56. You will never feel better after sleeping with your ex
57. Forgiving someone makes you the stronger person, not the weaker one
58. It's important to know when you need to apologize
59. Sometimes you just outgrow loving someone
60. Your past does not define you, but it can teach you valuable life lessons
61. Anything you want and need to do can be done on your own
62. Sometimes love just isn't enough
63. Often it means more to trust someone than to love that person
64. The more anger you carry with you, the harder finding and accepting love will be
65. You should never stay with someone out of comfort or convenience
66. Honesty is mostly the best policy
67. Any and all relationships you encounter in your life will teach you a lesson, even if you are unsure what it is at the moment
68. You can't make someone love you
69. Loving someone does not always translate into being with that person
70. It's usually best to think with your head and not your heart, but that is not usually what happens
71. Heartbreak will never get easier but you will learn how to manage it
72. Only you can determine your self-worth
73. Invest in a hobby, it'll help you remain sane
74. There comes a certain breaking point when you just need to let someone go
75. Looking for love is the surest way to never find it
76. Do not let where others are at in their lives overwhelm or consume you
77. Always choose deep and simple over shallow and complex
78. Before you love another you must love yourself
79. Love and lust are two very, very distinct things and the sooner you realize the difference, the better off you will be
80. Once a creeper, always a creeper
81. Men are not mind readers so don't get mad when they don't know what's going on inside your head
82. For some reason some people just can't seem to take a hint regardless of how obvious it is
83. Mostly everyone deserves a second chance, but it should be given with caution
84. What's meant to be will be, or at least that's what you will keep telling yourself
85. If a guy will cheat on his girlfriend with you, he will do the same to you if he ever leaves her
86. Comparing yourself to someone else will only make you feel worse
87. You end up with what you settle for
88. Do not settle because you are bored or lonely
89. Warning: Your ex-boyfriend from college is probably the same exact person in the post-grad world
90. If you keep telling yourself there are no good, available men, then there are no good, available men
91. You are always responsible for how you act no matter how you feel
92. If he doesn't want to get in touch with you, he won't get in touch with you and if he does, then he will
93. For some reason as soon as you act like you're not interested in someone, that person will start acting like he is interested in you
94. The best way to forget about a one-night stand is to delete his phone number, if you even got that far
95. If you don't have someone by October 1, you most likely won't have someone all winter
96. Don't fake it because then he will never learn
97. No guy is worth changing yourself for
98. Dancing around your apartment, blasting music while crying is the best form of therapy
99. Just because you're single doesn't mean no one loves you
Photo via We Heart It
