Anonymous wrote:1. Insanely picky
2. Unwilling to prioritize a relationship. Either more focused on work or traveling so much that it makes her unable to meet someone
3. Wasted many years dating or living with the wrong man.
I have one friend who falls into all 3 of these categories. She's a lovely person and I know she'd like a partner, but the guys she picks are always awful in the end, and she is very career- and travel-focused to it makes it hard to meet someone good in the first place. I think, given the trade-offs, she's happier as she is. She wants a partner but she doesn't want to settle down and she's ambivalent about kids. So I think it's working out fine for her.
I have another friend who doesn't fit into any of these categories. She's just never met the right guy. I do feel sorry for her because she badly wants to be married and have kids and unless something changes soon, it's not going to happen.
In general, what I think of single, childless 40 year old women depends on whether they seem happy. If they are happy with their lives, then I'm happy for them. If they're not happy, then I feel sorry for them, as I would for anyone else who is unhappy with their life.