Company

When I was younger I could intellectually understand why older people once alone for a while were more hesitant to embark on a relationship but I didn't feel it viscerally as I do now. 

We get to a point where we know ourselves better than ever but also understand human nature. By now we may have already lived the ups and downs of couple life and understand the benefits as well as the risks. 

We get to like who we are and know what compromises we are willing to make which don't infringe on our core essence as individuals. In other words, what makes us tick isn't negotiable. 

If we have done our internal work honestly we recognize our strengths and weaknesses plus what we bring to the table for others. Also by now, the biochemical instinct which drives procreation is gone and we are more lucid about the reality of life as never before. 

It's not that we want to be alone, it's that we value our peace much more than the wrong type of company.