Here's why other people breaking up makes you want to live the single life

It is a fact of life that many of us can't help but consider the grass on the other side of the fence to be more luscious than our own back garden.

You might have noticed that your friend with beautiful curly hair is always decrying their inability to have straight, uniform locks, while another sleekly coiffed, straight haired chum can't help but hanker after a tight perm.

This thinking is, perhaps, part of the reason that lifestyle brands like Apple continue to flourish; we always need something new, something different to what we already have in our insatiable pursuit of gratification.

But does this 'grass is always greener' mentality play a part - indeed wreak havoc with - our relationships?

The answer, it would appear, is surprisingly clear cut, and it's a resounding yes.

In fact, research suggests that we are a staggering 75% more likely to break up with our own partner if we witness a family member or close friend do the same thing, while - startling - even the influence of a friend-of-a-friend lies at a considerable 33%.

The notion that two degrees of separation can still bare influence over incredibly important real-life decisions of our own is a powerful one, so why do we let the choices of others who we might know only by association affect the way we see our own relationships?

1. You start questioning the commitments you've made to your own partner

Seeing your newly single friend living life on their own terms; doing exactly what they want, when they want, can be a tricky thing to witness. Relationships take compromise, and being selfish isn't often an option.

2. It makes you remember all the people you don't really see any more

Being in a relationship is hard work and requires astonishing levels of commitment, particularly once the honeymoon faze is over. This means that there are probably some friends that have fallen by the wayside over the years.

3. You are reminded of how simple being single can be

No arguments over breakfast, no negotiations over who is cooking that night... In some ways, being single is fair more simple than being in a relationship.

4. It reintroduces the idea of being with someone else

When you see a close friend - or even an acquaintance - enjoying sex or romantic frissons with other people, it might be easy to feel more than a little envious. Variety, after all, is the spice of life.

While witnessing someone you know go through a breakup - the good, the bad and the ugly - might make you begin to question your own relationship, it's worth assessing the reasons behind these feelings. All relationships have fluctuations; peaks and troughs, and it's as well to determine the severity of your feelings. If you have communicated your concerns to your partner and the problems persist, then it might be worth considering whether the problems run a little deeper than a typical case of 'the grass is always greener'.