Relationships: the Be All End All of Existence?

Getting a girlfriend or getting married is not the end all be all of life.  It's a statement often made to people of my ilk, that we should concern ourselves with having a really kick ass life and not worry about dating and relationships.  It's true in a lot of ways but not as much as people who say it would have you believe.

Yeah, Sir Isaac Newton, who allegedly died a virgin, did more for the human race than any of the Kardashians have.  And I'm pretty sure none of the Kardashians are going to die virgins.  Correct me if I'm wrong on that.  So clearly, sex and dating and relationships aren't the only important thing of value in one's life.

But this kind of thing really misses the point.  The comparison I always love making is to sports (mostly because I love sports and think they say a lot about the human condition).  Winning a championship in sports doesn't make you great in and of itself, but winning one certainly adds to your legacy in a way that is undeniable.  I don't think anyone would say that Trent Dilfer (who won a Super Bowl) had a better career than Dan Marino (who lost the only Super Bowl he played in), or that Jeff Conine (who won two World Series with the Marlins) had a better career than Barry Bonds (who never won one).  But does anyone deny that both Marino and Bonds would have a much better legacy had they won championships?  I mean that's the first thing people point to when debating Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Now, let's bring this back to dating and relationships.  I don't deny that a pretty shitty person who happens to have a girlfriend is still a shitty person.  That doesn't change the fact that being able to find someone (who isn't related to you by birth) who wants to share in your life and wants to share theirs with you greatly enhances who you are as a person.  Again, just like with sports championships, this doesn't mean that just any relationship will do nor does it mean that if you're not in a relationship (or married) that you're a worthless human being.  Just don't tell me that getting a girlfriend is meaningless and does nothing for you.  That's bullshit and I'm pretty sure you know it.