This is it right here. Nothing is rigged. You are now a statistic.

When we’re in our twenties, everyone seems single. In our thirties, many have started families. By the time we’re in our 40’s and 50’s, finding a friend to hang out with if you’re single and childless can be difficult. Dating? It’s only infinitely worse. Most of your prospects are divorced, with a few widowed, and a few never married. They either want casual, or they’re like you and looking for just one in a sea of recovering divorcées.

what do you do to find success

You have to accept that you might be single for a long time. So you need to figure out what peace and happiness and contentment look like for you while alone. You’re on one end of the bell curve for intelligence and interests, and your desire to match with someone similar means accepting the odds are long. “Success” might mean looking for community to fill your socializing needs, while appropriately letting your friends know you’d like to meet someone. Try to enjoy life and those around you without being anxious about meeting someone. If you’d enjoy going on many first dates that aren’t going to go anywhere just for the sake of going out and meeting people, you can continue OLD. But you might prefer to get off the apps, at least for long stretches.