Living Alone vs Roommates: A Question of to be or not to be?

By: Abdullah Haroon

Life is an art and it depends on how we manage what we make out of it. We get the opportunities and we are given the choices. The fun fact is, that most of those choices have nothing to do with right or wrong. They are mere choices of what lifestyle we cherish for ourselves. Living alone or living with a roommate is one such choice.

It largely depends on what type of person you are. If you are an introvert or a private person then living with roommates is not your cup of tea. You got to decide which way to go by taking a cue from your nature. However, to untangle the knot we brought some of the insights of both sides so that you can make an informed decision.

Let Us Discuss Situations that Might Force you to Live Together:

The first and the foremost thing which dictates your choices is your budget? Can you afford to live alone or do you have to let someone join to split the rent and utilities? In a city where operational cost makes a huge portion of your earnings, relieving some of the financial stress would add great value to your life.
Another reason could be your requirement for a big home which is not possible to be alone. One aspect which might influence your decision is if you know someone who is ready to move in with you or you have to find someone and that too is most likely a stranger.
It also boils down to your habit of sharing. Do you like to share your private space with someone or you are a lone survivor? The good thing is even in staying together with someone, you have a margin to create certain boundaries and then take care of that sanctuary. Emotional intelligence comes very handily when you get to share a space with someone. Your ability to confront and defuse conflicts is likely to decide the quality of your mutual relationship.

It largely depends on your feelings. Staying with someone has many advantages over staying alone but still, there is no binding on anyone for staying together. You got to consider what suits you better.

The chief benefit of staying together is that you can always reach out to a person for help. No matter how independent we become, we still find ourselves helpless on occasions and all we want is a shoulder to cry on or a hand to grab us out of trouble.

Now let us discuss the pros and cons of staying together so you can have a better idea of the big picture and take the decision wisely.

Pros:

You are likely to have your own private space.
You will not have to adjust your timeline or schedule according to someone’s routine.
You can have the luxury to plan your meetings with your dear ones or partner.
You will have a lot of time and environment for musing and introspection which will help you figure out problems in life and be a better version of yourself.
You are free to decorate the walls and interior as per your taste.
You stay more focused and goal-oriented as you are likely to have fewer distractions.
You do not have to compromise on the things you crave for.

Cons:

You will have to cater to the mess created by your roommate.
It might add to some unnecessary expenses.
You will have to put up the best face every time.
It is hard to entertain your guests the way you wish them to treat.
You will have to share your private space.
You might not share the same values as your roommate and it would keep you uncomfortable.

Living Alone or Living Together: Your Personal Call?

We live in a world where nothing is good or bad in its entirety. Each idea carries its own pros and cons. Sometimes, it is seen that what is good for one person might not be true for the other person. The question under discussion is one such thing.

If you ask me to tell you categorically what is good for you, I might not be able to take any side. But if you expect me to give you wise counsel I would recommend you do some soul-searching and brainstorming. You have to talk to yourself and confront what type of personality you are? What are the values dear to you? What arguments you cannot tolerate? Where you are ready to sacrifice and where you would not move an inch?

When you ask yourself such questions, you are going to get the answers. Then you need to see at what side it swings? Does it weigh more towards the pros side or does it swing back to the cons? There you will have your answer.

Final Thoughts:

By now, you must be having a fair idea of what suits you better. We have gone into detail to bring you both sides of the picture. What rests with you is one-time activity to do some musing over the question and then look at the answer through the prism of the above information.

We assume, one thing is certain there remains no place to be or not to be? You are fully equipped to take a side now. Whatever you chose, good luck with it.