Why "There's Plenty of Fish in the Sea" Is the Best and Worst Dating Advice

Why "There's Plenty of Fish in the Sea" Is the Best and Worst Dating Advice Newspoint | 07/05/2025 23:39:16

You heard it again. That line. The one every friend, cousin, colleague, and even your mom throws at you every time you go through a breakup.

“There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”

It's usually delivered with a patronising head tilt and a well-meaning, but deeply unhelpful smile, like they’re offering you eternal wisdom when really, they’re just recycling the same advice since 2010. It's like they know there’s someone else out there just waiting to complete you. Maybe even one who replies to texts in under four to six business days. Who knows?

It’s the kind of thing people say when they don’t know what else to say — like a 'get well soon' Archies card for your love life. And I get it. It’s supposed to be comforting. A reminder that the world is large, dating apps are infinite, and you don’t have to sit around mourning a relationship that you thought was forever.

But when you’ve heard it on loop, from your BFF to your mom to that one tween cousin who has no business giving dating advice — you start wondering: is this genuinely helpful, or just another way to shut you up?

Turns out, it’s both. A blessing and a curse.

So, let’s try to understand why “there’s plenty of fish in the sea” is the best and worst dating advice.

Why "There's Plenty of Fish in the Sea" is the BEST Advice

Sometimes, this line actually does what it’s supposed to do. Not in a dramatic, life-changing way. But in the quiet, comforting way your best friend says “chill, yaar” after you’ve spiral-texted your ex for the fourth time this week.

You realise the sea isn’t about finding someone better immediately. It’s about understanding there’s more out there for you. More love. More chances. You deserve someone who doesn't make you question your worth, who doesn’t leave you overthinking every pause, every emoji. You deserve to feel chosen without having to beg for it.

“There’s plenty of fish” reminds you that you’re not stuck. That just because one person didn’t work out doesn’t mean you have to give up on love. That you’ve survived worse. That maybe the next fish isn’t commitment-phobic, emotionally unavailable, or someone who thinks “I’m not ready” is a personality trait.

So yeah, sometimes it helps. It gives you perspective. A tiny dose of optimism. Just enough to pull you out of your sad playlist and remind you that you’ve still got game.

Why "There's Plenty of Fish in the Sea" is the WORST Advice

But then there are the other days. The darker, no-shower, late-night doom-scroll kind of days. That’s when this line feels less like comfort and more like someone tossing you a motivational quote while you’re trying not to cry in an Uber.

Because sometimes, you don’t want to hear about other fish. You want to mourn THIS fish — the one who remembered how you like your coffee, or sent you weird memes at 2 AM. You want your feelings to be taken seriously, not packaged into a cliched quote. And when people drop this line so casually, it can feel like your pain is being brushed aside like a Tinder match.

It makes dating sound like a buffet. Like you should just go pick another option and stop sulking. But no one talks about how most of those fish are sending “U up?” texts or ghosting you after the first date. The sea might be full, but that doesn’t mean it’s full of quality.

So yes, there are plenty of fish in the sea. But that doesn’t mean you’re ready to go fishing right now. Sometimes, you just need a friend who’ll sit with you in the heartbreak, hand you a plate of fries, and say, “Yeah, this sucks. But I got you.”