Grocery shopping, cleaning, shuffling kids to activities, doctor appointments, etc. Healthy couples negotiate who owns these tasks and sometimes covers for the other in times of need.
When you don't have that division of domestic labor, it becomes hard.
Life is just harder alone.
I disagree here, especially with your final sentence. Some things are easier, some thing are harder, I don't think you As someone who is single:
- I don't have to have debates about where/what to eat
- I do all of my own cleaning, but there's less to clean since I'm not cleaning up after a partner.
- I take myself to appointments, but I also don't have to take my partner to their appointments
- I can schedule my time the way I want to, without dealing to take my partner's desires into account (in-laws, their annoying friend's party, etc)
- I can choose how I spend/save income
But,
- I don't have a person to back me up in case of a serious problem (job loss, serious health issue, etc)
- Cost of living is higher since those costs don't scale linearly as you add more people.
- Lack of dedicated companionship can be frustrating at times.
Some thing are harder alone, for sure - but some things are harder as a couple.
Personally, I loved living in dorms in college, and I see an assisted living facility similar to that as the way to go as I get older. Someplace where I can have my own room/suite in a building with other people my age. I'd still want to be able to do my own thing, but with the benefit of other people around that I could socialize with.
