You're young, you're beautiful and you don't have a boyfriend?!

Don't panic, the two following perspectives are here to remind you why it's normal and even beneficial to be a 20-something year old who does not date.

Brought to you by Tania and Tanner.

Tania's Perspective:

Whenever I make a new friend and the topic of dating comes up, they wig out when I tell them that I've never been in a relationship.

I don't date (whatever that is anymore). I'm not taking a break from men or frightened of them (usually), I just live this way.

(Hook-up culture is also so strange to me.)

I'm not alone either, a lot of people my age opt to live the single life.

It's not because we can't find someone decent or we had bad experiences, those factors just reinforce our decisions to not date.

We just don't do it. It's not abnormal. Don't be shocked.

Dating isn't a necessity, but people react to my lifestyle like it's pitiful. It's a really one-sided and rather ethnocentric view (no offense?), but it empowers me and some of the coolest people I know to be ones who don't look at dating as an option.

Look, it's normal in my culture, and actually a lot of other cultures and households where adolescents to refrain from dating. There are a number of values, many of them indeed conservative, that keep this going. These open progressive paths for me.

I don't see anything about modern dating culture here that makes me feel like I'm missing out on anything. When my mom asks me if I feel sad when I see my friends with their boyfriends, I tell her the truth. Sure, for a second I admire their bond, but at the end of the day my answer is no. No, I don't feel like I'm missing anything, I'm just happy for my friends, and I'm very happy for myself too.

I am not going to rag on people who opt to date. One can't just say that they are better or worse for either option. I'm only talking about the benefits that can come about from being in my situation, where one just does not date.

1. You learn to appreciate yourself.

When I dress up and go out, its just me and friends or family. I don't have a date or a boyfriend to appreciate the effort I put in, but don't cry for me, I'll be okay.

I don't see what good it would do anyways, a person should slay because they want to represent themselves and their background well, and just feel good about themselves.

You gotta learn to love yourself first!

2. Treat yo'self is a reality.

There's no sweating over Netflix and chill. It's all about Netflix and Chipotle or Netflix and chocolate. Instead of spending money on dates I splurge on boba and save the rest (hahahah no I don't, I buy all the lipsticks).

3. You realize how substantial the things already in your life are.

I'm currently getting an education, I've got a family that looks out for me, a faith that guides me, and friendships with great people who keep me on a good path. Extracurriculars and hobbies keep my head in the game and my interests stimulated. Dating just isn't a necessity, it would rather be an imposition.

I know that people who date can also appreciate themselves and manage their priorities, but it's just easier for me to without dating.

It's a matter of recognizing the blessings you have and appreciating yourself before you let another potential blessing into your life.

4. You don't lean on boyfriends/girlfriends.

You might find yourself in a situation that your friends and family can't do much about and are not listening or helping the way you need them to. Your friends usually have their boyfriends/girlfriends in these situations, but you're just alone (woohoo!).

So you learn to take care of yourself. Though it sucks to get through some hardships with even your cat ignoring you, I'm happy that I have done it. In the future, I will know how to keep myself together whether my significant other is there or not.

Let's face it though, it can be cool to have a boyfriend/girlfriend. They help you study and look out for you. Like I've implied though, I'm good where I am.

But if you two make each other better people, then I think its awesome that you're there for one another.

5. You save yourself so much time.

If the person you're dating is enough of a priority for you to devote substantial time to them, then that's probably a good sign that you should foster that relationship.

However, personally, alarms go off in my head when I detect that someone is about to try to start "talking." (Oh God why?!)

When I say "talking" I mean that they know deep down this probably won't go anywhere too far, but hey, why not string each other along?

In my head I see the potential for a colossal waste of time brewing.

No. No! Beauty sleep is too important to me, I stay up for tests not texts.

Don't let anyone make you feel inadequate, or like you're a bad person for not wanting to "talk." You're looking out for yourself and the other person by saving a lot of time and headache from something you know neither of you are serious about.

Of course its a different matter if you're down for something less serious; I personally just have reasons for opting out of that.

Sometimes, people don't understand when you nicely tell them "I don't do this stuff" and you have to become the bad guy until they get the idea (yay!). If they can be persistent in not respecting your space, then you can be persistent in pushing them away. (Especially when they share a background with you, you'd think they know better.)

(Note: I am not calling just one individual out — but if the shoe fits some of you, then hey, what's up, hello.)

Just to clarify and conclude, I don't plan on being single forever. I just don't really plan on "dating" as we know it in the Western hemisphere. The details of how I live this part of my life are always judged rather harshly from people who don't understand the world outside of their heads.

*Closest real-life depiction of me trying to defend myself*

(If that's harsh, imagine being told that the way you approach relationships is one of the worst things you could do to yourself--that's so frustrating and an insult to your community and culture).

To give an idea, I'll admit that my life is similar to Elizabeth's from "Pride and Prejudice" and leave it there, for now.

Tanner:

While I too opt to live the single life, my background is a little different from Tania's. I am no stranger to serious, long term relationships. I've lived with a boyfriend and devoted years to trying to build a life together. I was perfectly happy identifying as a "serious relationship" kind of person. Now, however, I've chosen to take a very different path. Let me be clear, though. I am by no means against people dating. I have several friends who are happily married or in relationships that are perfect for them. Do you, boo boo. Personally, I just see so many reasons for me to stay single at this age.

1. You get to make major life decisions without any outside influences.

During and immediately after college, you make some of the biggest decisions of your life. Do I want to get my Master's degree here, or somewhere else? Do I want to get a grown up job here, or in another state? Hell, I can live in another country if I want to. Not being in a relationship allows me to choose the career, home, and lifestyle that most appeals to me. I can go anywhere I want and not worry about what I may be leaving behind.

2. You get to make little decisions without any outside influences.

Since I'm not worried about impressing anyone or getting anyone's interest, I basically do whatever I want whenever I want. Over the weekend, I snuck five bags of snacks into a movie. That's right, five. I like variety. And no one was there to judge me (not that I'd care much anyway. If you judge my eating habits, we definitely can't date). Sometimes I go on spontaneous road trips. Sometimes I want to do nerdy things like go to book clubs or town hall meetings. I recently spent way too much money on some Game of Thrones pillows to put in my bedroom. I've learned to do what I want without hesitation, and I'm finally comfortable with going places alone.

3. You don't have to shave your legs every day.

Need I say more?

4. You don't need to spend any time caring about sharing.

aka more wine and food for me.

5. You get more time to grow into the person you want to be and decide what kind of person you want to spend your life with.

I've been in a whole slew of weddings recently. The majority of my closest friends are married. At this rate, I'm going to be that lady in "27 Dresses" and it's totally fine with me. Seeing my closest friends choose wonderful life partners allows me to decide what I want in a partner and see that commitment like that is possible.

6. You don't end up wasting your time.

I barely have time to do laundry and eat like a normal person while I'm in school and working. I definitely don't have time to be in a relationship. Let's be real, most men this age suck and first dates are awkward as hell. I need every minute I can to get my life together, so I'm not wasting any time!

If the stars align and my soul mate manages to pop up in the next year, I won't shoo him away. I'm just not looking to date or pursue a relationship with anyone until I find a real reason to. In the mean time, I'm going to keep working towards making my life one I'm proud of and happy in before I decide to try and share it with someone else.