Being lonely is a drag, but one can cope with it in many ways, including cultivating satisfying friendships. Being badly partnered, on the other hand, is misery however long it lasts.

We need more options. Not just living single--which IMO should be the default assumption--but also various family configurations to facilitate childrearing, provide emotional support for other-gendered folks, and help the less-than-wealthy thrive in spite of the plutocracy.

But the no-doubt-well-meaning people who would have you eff up a great friendship by putting a ring on it are wrong in so many ways, I suspect you're answering them with far more courtesy than they deserve.