Fear Of Commitment

For decades, it has been men who owned the fear of commitment. The stereotype of the ever elusive bachelor is perpetuated in books and on television. Men have been pegged as being out of touch with their emotions, holding out for their perfect dream girl, and running for the hills whenever women so much as mention the dreaded words love or marriage. No doubt about it, when you say fear of commitment, most people automatically think of men.

But what about fear of commitment in women?

Brought up believing men are the ones who own fear of commitment, the majority of women cruise through their lives totally oblivious to their own fear of commitment believing that they really want to be in a relationship but systematically dumping perfectly acceptable mates without a second thought.

With nearly 50 million women currently single, it should come as no surprise that women are just as guilty of fear of commitment as men. Women are taking longer and longer to settle down, putting off marriage in favor of work, starting their own businesses, and playing the field well into their thirties, forties, and fifties. Let's face it, many women can't even commit to a lunch date, let alone a lifelong relationship.

Still, with all the evidence of this growing trend, many people can't help but wonder if women can really have a fear of commitment.

It never fails. At every party, dinner, and get-together, there is at least one person who asks. They'll argue that women can't have a fear of commitment. After all, they're too busy planning fairy-tale weddings, picking out baby names, and reading Cosmo magazine.

But take Susan, for example. At 33, she's a successful event planner who has dated numerous men, broken many hearts and had her fair share of heartbreak. Much as she wants to meet "the one", tie the knot, and have children, she continually finds herself going from one short-lived relationship to the next. Like clockwork, after three months of dating a man, she manages to find something wrong with him.

Think about it. How many women do you know who claim that they're dying to commit, only to turn away one potential suitor after another or stay in relationships year after year that offer no hope of commitment? It just doesn't add up. For years, we've been asking what's wrong with him and know the truth comes out that women really do have a fear of commitment just like men.