Once, only old maids and determined bachelors stayed single. Singletons were pitied, even laughed at. But today, with freedom vaunted almost above all else, the situation has changed. We marry later and divorce more frequently. Do we perhaps even envy bachelors and bachelorettes? The famous Belgian historian Jean-Claude Bologne has researched the evolution of religious and secular celibacy, attitudes toward it in different eras, the types and varieties of bachelors, and of course, the famous examples. Psychologists and sociologists have long theorized about why some people do not wish to marry, and have observed that such desires have numerous, very distinct causes. Even the market has taken note of these social transformations. You can buy ready meals for one, find seats for one on trains, and go on package holidays specially designed for singletons.