Stylist Aoife McGuigan on dressing to feel comfortable and confident
Stylist Aoife McGuigan on dressing to feel comfortable and confident

Sarah Gill

The dangers and environmental impact of using AI in your business
The dangers and environmental impact of using AI in your business

Elaine Burke

Social Pictures: The Jaeger-LeCoultre x Paul Sheeran event
Social Pictures: The Jaeger-LeCoultre x Paul Sheeran event

IMAGE

Kieran Clifford aka Fatbaby Bakes shares her life in food
Kieran Clifford aka Fatbaby Bakes shares her life in food

Sarah Gill

Meet the new dream treatment for face, eye and neck rejuvenation
Meet the new dream treatment for face, eye and neck rejuvenation

Lizzie Gore-Grimes

A retelling of the world’s greatest love story – what to watch this week
A retelling of the world’s greatest love story – what to watch this week

Edaein OConnell

Meet the sisters behind the hugely successful Nóinín in Kilkenny
Meet the sisters behind the hugely successful Nóinín in Kilkenny

Megan Burns

Social Pics: Boots No7 Future Renew™ launch at the Dylan Hotel
Social Pics: Boots No7 Future Renew™ launch at the Dylan Hotel

Edaein OConnell

This Dublin 12 home was extended to add light and flow, whilst still respecting its character
This Dublin 12 home was extended to add light and flow, whilst still respecting its...

Megan Burns

The most inspiring quotes from our IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year 2025 winners
The most inspiring quotes from our IMAGE PwC Businesswoman of the Year 2025 winners

IMAGE

Image / Editorial

Who Really Gets Over A Breakup Faster?


By Jennifer McShane
09th Aug 2015
Who Really Gets Over A Breakup Faster?

Breaking up is always hard to do as the saying goes, and after all is said and done, the time then comes where you have to start moving on in some form. But while we’re perhaps inclined to think that it’s the lads who may get over these things quicker, according to new research, this isn’t the case.? So, we have good and bad news. The good news first: ?Women will get over their male exes quicker. The bad news is that women will feel more pain in the long run even though men could also feel the loss of a relationship ?for years afterwards.?

This is according to a new study published in Evolutionary Behavioural Sciences. Researchers asked 5,705 people in 96 countries to rate the emotional and physical pain of a breakup on a scale of one (what pain?) to 10 (agonising pain) via a survey. Women reported greater pain emotionally?a 6.84 compared to 6.58 in men?and physically?a 4.21 versus 3.75 in men. The differences may seem small, but they’re statistically significant.

“When [women] realise it’s time to move on, they recover faster and more fully than men.”

And there’s an explanation for this, according to Fusion: ?Women are evolved to invest far more in a relationship than a man since it could result in pregnancy,” says study author Craig Morris. They’re ?choosier about selecting a high-quality mate? so a loss hurts more. Men may feel the breakup less at first, but Morris says ?the man will likely feel the loss deeply,? perhaps for months or years, ?as it sinks in that he must start competing all over again to replace what he has lost?or worse still, come to the realisation that the loss is irreplaceable.? Here, women have the advantage. When they realise it’s time to move on, they ‘recover faster and more fully.?

Though women hurt more initially, ultimately they get over a breakup quicker.
Though women hurt more initially, ultimately they get over a breakup quicker.

So women may hurt more, but in short, they are well capable of bouncing back.

“Men, on the other hand seem to react badly and in some sort of self-destructive/angry fashion often combined with depression,? Morris continued. ?This can last for months or years. Then they just sort of ‘move on,? usually via another relationship.? In the modern world, this phase is what’s commonly known as the ?excessive Tinder stage.?

The results are certainly intriguing, but this does of course leave one thing; regardless of being male or female, breakups are hard for anyone and everyone. Morris believes this is how it should be. ?Breakups should hurt, so we have evolved to avoid them! If breakups didn’t hurt, we’d invest very little in relationships,? he said. A good point. What do you think of the results?

Via Fusion