7 Benefits Of Always Being The Third Wheel

Is there anything more hellish than being a perpetual third wheel in a world full of happy couples? Peter Alden, 29, is a New York City man who knows that struggle all too well. His Instagram account that documents his life as a third wheel — ironically dubbed @imnotathirdwheel — features hilarious photos of Peter alongside his brother, Ben, and his fiancee, Marissa Evans, as they all do various activities together.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Peter said that he was living with his brother when the couple started dating, which naturally led to the three of them spending a ton of time together. "It started as me just photobombing them every time they tried to take a cute picture together," he said. Gradually, Peter's fan base grew, and he said people even started offering suggestions for his next photobombed image. While his account is all in good fun, Peter certainly isn't alone in feeling left out, and he's not the first person to document his life as a third-wheeler via Instagram.

However lonely it can get, there's something to be said about the single life. When you're the only person you have to answer to, you can assert your independence a lot more (i.e. you can drink wine and watch Netflix for as many hours as you please). Not that being in a relationship means you can't be independent — in fact, the best relationships are ones where each person maintains their individuality. Regardless, being single is freeing, fun, and often a lot more stress-free.

Using Peter as my inspiration, here are seven benefits of being the odd (wo)man out, so if you're always the third wheel, use this as an excuse to embrace your singledom and live the good life, solo.

1. You Don't Have to Share Food

2. You Aren't Forced to Attend Parties

3. You Get to Choose What Movies You See

4. You Can Pick Your Own Outfits

5. ...Which is Especially Crucial on Halloween

6. You Can Travel Solo

7. No Awkward PDA

Images: Daniel Grosvenor/Flickr; @imnotathirdwheel/Instagram (7)

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