Emma Watson described what this meant and claimed she identifies as “self-partnered”.
Wide-ranging for her portrayal of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, the English actress has been subject to allegations regarding her dating status. Like many well-known people, she is refining language and clarifying what “self-partnered” means for curious people.
The actress of “Little Women” particularly identified herself as “self-partnered,” in a 2019 interview with British Vogue.
She clarified, “I never truly considered the whole ‘I’m happy single’ idea. I treated it just as chat. Though it took some time, right now I’m rather happy to be alone. I consider it to be self-partnership. The actress did note, though, that she is dating even if she is not seeing one specific person right now.
“Dating apps are not for me,” Watson remarked.
“I count myself lucky since I attended college and engaged in other activities outside of movies, which has helped my friends be quite effective in setting my dates.
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“It’s also great that some of my best friends are actually people I first met via blind dates that didn’t work out.”
Not just Watson is advocating the term “self-partnered.” California-based clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly also finds great value in this concept.
“A self-partnered person feels whole and fulfilled inside themselves and does not feel the need to search fulfillment through a romantic partner,” Manly said in an NBC interview. To be truly self-partnered, one usually has to invest a lot of time and effort to individually develop.
Self-partnered persons show a commitment to knowing themselves first, not a lack of dating or thought about marriage. Gwyneth Paltrow is rethinking labels for relationships, just like Watson is. The actress came up with “conscious uncoupling” to help explain her distance with musician Chris Martin in 2014.
Why is the movement in redefining relationship language under motion? According to Florida therapist Travis McNulty for NBC, younger generations are increasingly putting originality first over accepted norms in relationships. These changes redefine the conventional designations associated with divorce or single status as empowered states.
“People usually form opinions about others depending on the common labels that define their relationship status,” McNulty said. Prominent people like Emma Watson and Gwyneth Paltrow utilizing terms like “self-partnered” and “conscious uncoupling,” create psychological concerns and questions on what it means to be “single” and “getting a divorce.”
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This new language changes people’s voice and viewpoint of their occurrences, therefore opposing what most people would consider to be the result. In the framework of relationships, it helps people to become more aware of their mental health and personal growth.
Manly also provides some guidance for those wishing to embrace self-partnering in either a relationship or solitary life.
The therapist counsells “it’s important to learn how to feel comfortable being alone and love your own company.” You cherish your time alone and boost your self-esteem whether you eat out by yourself, see movies by yourself, read books by yourself, or work alone. Participating in enjoyable activities by yourself might help you develop greater self-awareness and cherish your uniqueness.
Give your personal interests and passions some thought. This will allow you lead a more fulfilled, autonomous life. Realizing you will be alone helps your mental health as well as your contacts with others.