Age gap!?

Arfff

IMO, its not wierd at all.
I prefer it actually, but i prefer the age gap no more than 15 years. It will be super weird for my age (21) to date a lets say 60 year old man.

 

It's no one's right to tell you what is acceptable for your own relationship. I believe that if you are an adult, over the age of 18, that you have the right to determine whether the age gap is appropriate or not. Of course, we don't want a 15-year old going out with a 40-year old, it's not really acceptable for obvious reasons. One's a minor, one's an adult. I think for safety reasons, minors should only date minors. Of course, you do have some relationships which overlap into becoming an adult. Like a 15 year old and 17 year old dating, then the 17-year old becomes 18... Then that doesn't really count because they were dating beforehand.

Once again, this is not my place to define what's wrong and right for other people, this was just my opinion.

 

I think it's normal as long as it's within knits and it's not like a big age difference but also it depends what age you are at the time of the relationship? If you're 15 and date a 24 year old(9 year gap) it's weird, and kinda' gross...but if you're 24 and date a 33 year old(also 9 year gap) it's totally ok, it depends on maturity and I mean it also has to be legal!

 

To be honest, I wouldn't really date a guy who's about 8 years older than me. But I don't find it weird or anything to date someone who's older. It's your business, and you should be able to see anyone you want to see.

Recently, a 60+ guy made news here when he married a 16 year-old girl. People were thinking he was a child predator and she was only going for his money. I wasn't a fan of it, but it's THEIR business, not mine.

 

My sister and I have a rule that they can't be older than our brother (who is 15 years older than me). For me, it goes both directions so, 15 years difference is fine, but the 15 years younger won't go into full effect until 15 years younger than me is legal. XD

 

Meh. I'm kinda weird when it comes to age. I would never date someone younger than 21 and no older than 30.

But if you fall in love with someone 10-15 years older bad they make you happy, who cares what others think!

 

I can date someone whose 20 years older than me, I will never be a love interest. Tho romantically and sexually speaking, I am more attracted to guys who's 3-5 years older than me.

 

I don't think it's weird, but I wouldn't do it because I'm rarely attracted to anyone past their mid 20s

 

I won't mind dating someone even if he's 5 years older than me.

 

Since I'm only 20, I'm only interested in guys who are 18-22 at the moment...

 

Age is just a number.

 

Well, I'm agree with Chip on this, power imbalance is a no-no.

 

I think partners with an age gap can work. Think sometimes people blow this issue out of proportion because they're thinking in terms of extremes (like a 20-something with a 40-50 something). Realistically I imagine there are loads of couples with a 7-10 year age difference who have perfectly healthy relationships. The majority of settled couples I personally know have a 5+ year age difference.

An older partner is not necessarily going to be more financially secure or emotionally mature. That really depends on the person. Friend of mine is involved with an older guy who is not sorted at all...in fact he is about as immature as she is.

Personally I have found in the past that I'm more likely to be attracted to older guys, but that was when I was in my teens and my contemporaries seemed like vacuous ninnies to me. Sounds mean but that's how I felt at the time.... These days I'd be more likely to date people aged 23-32. But ya just never know who you might fall for. And whether they're your own age or not probably won't be the deciding factor of whether to enter the relationship/if it'll work out.

 

While 'age is just a number', there is a limit. Right now at 23 (I may as well say that, it's coming soon..) the youngest I would consider is 18. Yes I could legally have a relationship with a 17 year old, but the maturity and life experience gap is significant, in the 6 years since I was 17 I finished school, got a job, worked up to senior management, started a business, blah blah misery and suffering and am now a degree student. My topics of conversation would bore a 17 year old to death and it just wouldn't last!

 

Q: Is it weird?
A: No it's not
But it hella problems to date someone older than me even if I mature enough to respect him in any side of relationship.

 

I always use this rule

1) Take the oldest person's age

2) Half it

3) Add seven

and that's the youngest person they should be dating. (It's just a guidline, obviously. (It works for anyone over the age of 13))

eg) Oldest person is 60 years old, youngest person they should date is 37

I dunno, either way, it's your choice, just make sure they aren't using their age as a means of having power over you

 

I'd be interested to know what geographical locations and demographics those studies covered. Are they primarily/solely concerned with couples in Europe/North America or do they include countries where marriage between younger and older partners is still more common? What factors are considered when defining what is or is not a healthy/'successful' relationship? Is/can that definition be universally applicable? What about external sociocultural factors that might effect the success of the relationship (such as peer pressure)? How were the respondents found?

These are just queries that occur to me because I'm cynical of the extent to which such studies accurately reflect the lived reality of the bulk of humanity, rather than the preconceptions/theories of the few who write them.

Also a difference in life experience (quantity or quality) does not automatically equal an imbalance in power, nor is it restricted to relationships where there is an age difference. There are plenty of people my own age (or close) who have very different/broader/less experiences than I do.

Similarly co-dependence (financial, emotional, etc.) isn't restricted to relationships where there is an age gap either. Is it more likely? It's impossible to say. If, for example, someone has emotional issues anyway then whether or not their partner is the same age as them or not won't make much of a difference.

Whether or not generally speaking a wide age gap is 'wise' or not, I couldn't really say, because what works for two people might not work for a hundred others - and vice versa. I'm just wary of pre-judging situations based on generalisations.