The Marriage Myth: When Science Favors Being Single

The Liz Moody Podcast

Liz Moody

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Education, Mental Health

4.8 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2025

⏱️ 80 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why do we view romantic relationships as the end-all be-all of relationships, and how can we take a more positive and holistic view of our relationships? Today, I’m speaking with NPR’s Life Kit producer and showrunner Meghan Keane about destigmatizing singleness, making the most of your friendships, and reframing marriage and relationships. What would a world where romantic relationships weren’t seen as the default goal look like? Meghan brings valuable insights on how to live the happiest life you can, regardless of whether or not you meet “the one.” In this episode, we get into: How Is Marriage Reenforced Societally? Are Married People Happier? Is Venting Unhelpful? The Relationship Escalator & Marriage Awareness & Social Media Building Positivity with ABCs of DBT Making Single Friends When Your Friend Enters a Relationship Living Wider & Deeper For more from Meghan Keane, find her on Instagram @damekeane or online at www.meghanvkeane.com. Buy Meghan’s insightful book Party of One or listen to NPR’s Life Kit. Ready to uplevel every part of your life? Order Liz’s book 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships & Success now! To join The Liz Moody Podcast Club Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com/groups/thelizmoodypodcast. Connect with Liz on Instagram @lizmoody or online at www.lizmoody.com. Subscribe to the substack by visiting https://lizmoody.substack.com/welcome. Check out the previous episodes of The Liz Moody Podcast discussed today: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Self-Care & Burnout (+ What to Do Instead) with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin How to Figure Out Your Dream Career (And Actually Get It!) with Suzy Welch Science-Backed Secrets For Making Friends: Become Super Likable, Find Your BEST Friend, & Deepen Relationships with Dr. Marisa G. Franco This episode is sponsored by: Seed: Go to seed.com/lizmoody and use code LIZMOODY for 25% off your first month. Pique: Go to piquelife.com/LIZMOODY for up to 20% off plus a special gift. LMNT: Go to DrinkLMNT.com/LizMoody to get a free LMNT sample pack with any order. MasterClass: Go to MASTERCLASS.com/LIZMOODY for 15% off an annual membership. IQ Bar: Text LIZ to 64000 for 20% off all IQBAR products plus FREE shipping. The Liz Moody Podcast cover art by Zack. The Liz Moody Podcast music by Alex Ruimy. Formerly the Healthier Together Podcast. This podcast and website represents the opinions of Liz Moody and her guests to the show. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for information purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. The Liz Moody Podcast Episode 329. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Why does society want us to be coupled up so desperately?
0:03.0	Well, are there any other myths about marriage?
0:06.0	Another myth that I think people think about a lot.
0:09.0	Do we all need someone to go through life with?
0:12.0	What are your best tips for becoming comfortable with our solitude?
0:16.0	Oh, okay, so I love this tool.
0:18.0	We're definitely less happy than single people.
0:20.0	And had worse health outcomes, true.
0:22.1	Okay, so tell me about that.
0:23.4	What do you draw from the data?
0:25.1	Hello, friends, and welcome to the Liz Moody podcast.
0:28.6	I am hugely interested in relationships and marriage and the way that both have evolved over time
0:33.8	and the way that the relationships we pursue are so intricately connected with the stories
0:38.8	that we tell ourselves about what it means to live a good life. So many of us have this idea
0:44.2	that life is filled with these milestones. Graduate college, get a job, find a partner, get married,
0:49.5	have kids. And more and more we're questioning, are these the right choices or are we following them because of societal shoulds?
0:57.6	Are there other choices that might make us happier, more fulfilled, more satisfied in this one precious and wild life that we have?
1:05.5	Enter Megan Kane. Megan is a podcast powerhouse. She's a founding producer of Ted's Radio Hour. She's a producer at
1:11.8	Invisibilia, and she's the founder and producer of Life Kit. She's also the author of the
1:17.0	recently released Party of One Be Your Own Best Partner, which dives into the myths of marriage
1:22.1	and explores the much under-discussed benefits of being single. And interestingly,
1:27.2	she's now in a long-term
	...

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