Joe, I am reminded of the teachings of the nuns and brothers. Their implication, or at least our inference, being that the celibate, religious life was the best choice. If you couldn’t handle that, then OK, get married. And if that wouldn’t work for you, there was always the “single vocation”. Despite my own committed partnership, I admit that there are days when I favor the “single vocation”, and on any day, I think the order of preferences should be reversed: single – married – religious life.
Having enjoyed a life on one’s own, it is certainly not an easy matter to introduce another body, another personality, into one’s living space and mind space. For some, a partnership just wouldn’t be suitable. Simple as that.