REALITIES
The Perks of Being Men with Double Income, No Kids
Disclaimer: This is an older and more literal interpretation of the common acronym, DINK. It’s more in line with the older term “Dual Income, No Kids” which began to make the round during the 1980s, alongside Yuppie culture. An article in The Guardian entitled “Dual income, no kids…and loads of free time” is also quite an engaging read on this subject. In it, they elaborated that DINKs were more defined by their capacity and earnings with regard to age rather than marital status.
Double Income, No Kids. In short, DINK. This acronym seems to describe some men out there who choose to remain unmarried.
What could have compelled these men to stay single at the ripe marriageable age of 40?
Well, it could be career reasons, fear of commitment, or it could be the call of fate. Whatever the reasons, some men choose to stay single at the age of 40 and beyond.
The perks of being single continue to influence men to never marry. Let’s see what some of these perks are.
DINKS have more time for themselves
Being single means you have more time for everything you want. You are free to travel on your own and enjoy your income. It’s your hard-earned money anyway. You have the right to spend it on the things that make you happy.
However, for some, the self-indulgent lifestyle grows old pretty fast. I remember a conversation I overheard between an old man and his teenage grandson. The young man was pointing to a bird, saying how he envied them their freedom to fly wherever they want to.
The old man said, “They still need a safe space to land. Even birds who can only fly with nowhere to rest are just prisoners of the air. They’re not free. They’re homeless.”
Double income, no kids sounds good — but some may realize they’re ready for their money to have a purpose aside from keeping themselves entertained.
DINKS enjoy continued self-reliance
Being single at 40 keeps you self-reliant because you have to do everything on your own. This benefit of being single makes you a strong decision-maker and helps you stay responsible for your own lifestyle.
Some men think that getting married is a disadvantage because they’ll become dependent on their wives for household chores and child care.
A lot of married women would agree. Most women marry to have partners; someone who can share life’s ups and downs with them. But traditional gender roles have imposed housekeeping and the rearing of children on women.
But times are ever-changing and more and more people see things differently, including men.
For some men, one surefire way to avoid burdening anyone that way is simply to not get married at all. They take responsibility only for themselves and live their own way.
But if you have no problems performing your share of responsibilities, then there’s no need to avoid marriage for fear it will cripple your self-reliance…or reliability.
DINKS are more connected to friends and business partners
Men who are single at 40 tend to have dealt with almost everyone from all walks of life. They tend to adjust easily and quickly to any environment. They are more experienced in various fields, be it business or social matters.
But they may find it difficult to relate to married men and fathers. In the US alone, around 67% of the male population are married as of 2022. That means that married or family men make up a very large chunk of any demographic, from voters to consumers. Be it in business or in social settings, being able to understand and mingle with authenticity with 67% of your fellow man is a plus.
Conclusion
Ultimately, getting married or staying single is a personal choice. Getting married, in particular, not only impacts your life but those of others as well.
Being single has a lot of appealing benefits. We should all, not just men, look deep inside our hearts to understand whether those benefits would be enough to fulfill us for the rest of our lives.
For those who know that they want to get married and have kids someday, it’s still a good thing to experience the single life for a while. There are lessons there that can help make you a better person and partner. Besides, there’s no rule that demands you have to get married before 40 or that you can’t anymore once you’re past it.
Now single men, be careful of your decisions because you only live once as men of freedom. Will you be getting married or staying single at 40?
Choose wisely.
Also published on Medellin Singles
