New British study discovers that men crave romance and are happiest when married

What best describes the modern 21st century man?

A far cry from the commitment-phobic bachelors you might think them to be, it turns out – at least in Britain.

A new 2017 UK study by researchers at University College London (UCL) has challenged many preconceptions about the modern man. The survey, commissioned by American grooming company Harry’s, sought to shed light on what the modern man valued most.

The study surveyed 2000 British men who had to rank what they valued the most (i.e. work, romance, personal growth) on a scale of 0 to 5. The results? Surprising to say the least. 

#1 Married Men are the Happiest of Men

It turns out that men who were married or in civil partnerships were the happiest, scoring the highest among all the different relationship statuses (3.6), while single men were the least happy, ranking the lowest in the study (3.2). Interestingly, even among men who were attached, those married scored higher than those in long-term relationships.

#2 Men Do Want Marriage

If you thought men enter relationships not thinking about the potential for marriage, you thought wrong. When entering a new relationship, men do think about marriage and seek it.

#3 They Crave Romance – Even More Than Their Careers

The survey highlighted that romance is the most essential part of their well-being – more so than their career and personal growth, in fact. 90% of men categorised romance as either “very important” or “important”, while only 78% of them ranked work in the same measure. In fact, romance is also significantly  more important than personal growth (54%).

#4 They’re Okay with Being Emotionally Vulnerable

Despite the alarmingly high suicide rates among men, there is a slow but gradual rise in their openness to discuss emotional and mental issues. According to the survey, British men value mental health more than physical health, and are willing to discuss the issues.

Dr. John Barry of UCL’s Department of Psychology, who spearheaded the research says the survey will “provide important insights into what men need to live their lives in a positive way” and “how they should be represented”. This growing attention onto male-specific issues is in light of astonishingly high suicide rates among men and current discourse on defining masculinity in this day.

So ladies, the next time you’re quick to dismiss your partner as a romance-averse, emotionally stoic bloke, you might want to rethink that. Your spouse or significant other might be a lot more of a sensitive and affection-hungry individual than you think.

Sarah Khan

Photo: Getty Images

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