Good question, thank you for asking it.
Age matters on the contexts of legal age of consent; and in difference of expectations and needs when it comes to age gaps.
Naturally people in different age ranges will be going through different phases in ther lives, and this may result in disagreements and even arrested developments.
That said, when the people in the relationship are wise and conscentious, the age gap becomes a non issue and they can work out their differences and attune just fine!
Two examples -
A woman I know got together with her husband when she was 20 and he was 32. Now they are respectively 51 and 63, and their marriage is happy and full of satisfactions!
On the contrary, my mother was 16 when she got together with my father, who was 34-35 at the time. This resulted in a slew of problems and issues that are still hard to fix some 27 years later.
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You found a picture of me in the future, how you do that? Lol.
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Yes, age differences can be a problem, not because of the age itself, but because of the differences that correlate with age:
1. Do you want to have babies and he doesn't?
2. Are you ready to settle down, buy a house, get a dog, etc. and he just wants a new skateboard or PlayStation?
3. Do you prefer the Beatles and she listens to rap?
4. Does she like to go out clubbing and you like to spend time with your relatives?
5. Does he want to "do it" three times a day and you really feel that three times a week should be sufficient?
etc.
Of course, people can have differences on these kinds of issues even if they are the same age, but it becomes more likely as the age difference expands. I have an interesting take on this. For starters I'm happily married to a guy 16 years younger than me. I'd never have ever dreamed I'd ever be with a guy so much younger. I'd assume he'd be far too immature, non-committal, irresponsible, not in a compatible place in life as myself, wouldn't have compatible life goals, and certainly wouldn't be ready to be a stepdad to my two daughters. It took a while for my husband to convince me to give him a chance because I was so concerned about how much younger he was. However, when I did give him a real chance I found out all those assumptions I'd made about him were wrong. He was very responsible and very mature (more so than my ex who is 5 years older than me). He was very ready and willing to be committed (a little sooner than I was comfortable with actually. haha). He was in a different place in life in that he was a single grad student and I was a single mom with an established career, but that ended up not really being a problem. His life goals were very compatible with mine. In fact, the fact he was younger might have been beneficial in that area because I still wanted to have more kids. I also think that since he was so much younger it was a lot easier for me to get pregnant (and have healthy babies) since I was getting younger sperm as opposed to older sperm. He's also a better dad to my daughters than their actual dad. So I 100% believe there are many situations where age doesn't matter.
HOWEVER
I think my husband is very much the exception and not the rule. Most men that much younger than me are all the things I was concerned about. He was just the exception. So most of the time I think age does matter because of what it reflects. However, I also think there are many pretty common exceptions to this rule.Yes, age is a very important factor to consider when thinking about a relationship or even taking an interest in someone, you want to make sure that what you are doing is LEGAL and also socially acceptable.
For example, I would have absolutely no issues with a 30 year old and a 40 year old dating, they are adults and both mature, the age gap feels small.
Second example, I would not be okay with a 10 year old dating a 20 year old because one is a complete mature adult and the 10 year old is completely different in every way.
I think different countries have different age limits for when someone is classed as an adult but I think in England it is at 18, so I would say that an age difference of maybe an 18 and a 23 year old would not be the worst, it would still be kind of weird to me though.
But once you become older, age differences become less of a matter, they are only a matter till you are 20 or more, after that you more in a safe zone to date in bigger gaps, not that I ever plan on, I want to be with someone as close to my own age as possible :)Yes and no.
A massive age gap can cause problems for the couple. Friendship circles are unlikely to intersect. That can cause problems for support. An older man is not judged as harshly as an older woman - not sure why - yet the younger woman is judged more harshly.
Society suggests serious double standards of acceptable gaps too. A guy can get away with a girl 20 years his junior once he hits around 55, but a 55 year old woman is looked down on if she dates a guy of 25.
What's truly important is the relationship between the two people who are actually IN the relationship.
I have a friend I trust absolutely who is 26 years younger than me. I love her (platonic folks, not romantic) and my life is certainly richer by her presence. We have very little in common, however. Despite having been the chronological age she is now in the same approximate geographical area, I was never "her age". When I was 23 in my social group friends with benefits was unheard of. There was no Internet yet and even texting was in its infancy. In our friendship these things don't matter. If I were single, despite having a great rapport with her and thinking she's gorgeous, I doubt I'd ask her out. Our life experience is too different.
My wife and I are from very different cultural backgrounds. I'm English and she's South African. That's a difficult enough difference. If I added a 20 year age gap as well my head would explode - and not in a good way.
You need something in common (one big thing or several little ones) if you're going to build a successful relationship. I'm not saying it's impossible without, but it's much, MUCH harder.Only to the people that are not in the relationship , the judge mental bastards that have no clue what they are talking about. But honestly No age doesn’t matter in a relationship, The chemistry and connection is what matters , if I see a beautiful girl and we make eye contact and we strike up a conversation and we both enjoy each other’s conversation and we are hitting it off is what matters , if the topic of age comes up later during the conversation and we find out we have a age gap it doesn’t mean all of a sudden I am not going to like her , I would straight up tell her age doesn’t bother me , if it did, then that would of been the first question I asked her
In America, YES, age difference is a big cultural thing.
My man is 19yo older than me. I catch sh*t all the time from my dad and my sisters, yet my dad is almost 25yrs older than my mom.
In the Philippines, where my family is mostly from, age difference is not an issue. So many women in their early 20's or 30's are married to men 50-60yo...
Really, it depends on the couple, their personalities, their health, their outlook on life.
I am 27yo and my man will be be 46yo in May. He looks late 30's.. and I am told i like mid 30's, mostly coz i have had a hard life and Life has beaten me up.I guess it depends if your asking the 2 people in the relationship or 10 people at the same time ,, the 2 people in the relationship are fine with it that's the reason why they're in one, but then the other eight people have opinions initiate their way I personally believe that it's between the two people they're in the relationship nobody else sometimes when two people get together that are different ages it clicks so good it's unreal there are times when two people get together in a relationship where you know there's not going to work because of the maturity level I think the older you get age does matter who is older better women there should be a plan if I was to date a younger girl when I hit a certain age I'm not heard start thinking about Louboutin because I don't want anybody taking care of me I filled it feel as if they have to take care of is the last thing I would want to do is hold somebody back in life
Apparently it does to many, or women wouldn't pick guys based on their age. I have a profile on a seniors dating site, and 98% of the women who reach out to me there are younger than my son, even though I specifically state I'm not interested in anyone more than a decade on either side of my age. Age is just a number, but people who choose partners based on irrelevant qualities such as age or boob size or financial worth fail to look at the bigger picture so they can choose quality, compatible partners. How would you feel if your ideal partner rejected you because you were 1/4" too short? As long as people promote irrelevant issues, relevant issues will be overlooked.
It does a little for different reasons, some want those that are mature and wealthy, others want those that can relate to them and how they grew up, others want someone that they can be youthful enough to have babies with, while others are simply looking for companionship. It's honestly all across the board
I think that any consenting relationship between two adults that makes them happy is a good thing. Age, race, gender, wealth, class, social status, career... all of these things are superficial.
It's hard enough to find love in this world. If you have to limit yourself to options that satisfy some artificial social mandate instead of following your heart, you risk living a life in which you never experience true love.
It's your life not theirs. Love who you love and don't let anyone cheat you out of it.It shouldn't but to most it does. It matters a lot when you are younger but after mid 20s to early 30s it's not much of a deal. I know very shallow immature older people and some very young people who are pretty together. Unfortunately for me I look very young for my age but I don't find many women close to my age attractive.
tough question. i date a girl significantly younger. she fulfills a need of being needed and being looked up to. As i fulfill a need in her , some one to care for her, give affection and a sense of need as
well. is it healthy? I don't know. We both agree it’s the best sex either of has had. will it progress? i don’t think so, it will always be physical. would it be that way with every young woman? I don't know. everyone is different.Of course it matters. There are advantages and disadvantages to having an older partner. A person with a much older partner is likely to see their partner's death, and will then be single in mid-life. OTOH older people tend to have more maturity and patience but less energy than younger people.
To a point, after that not at all.
also you see things about yeah but too big a cap nothing in common.
Then you find people with 20 years gap, have running, online gaming, mountain biking, music, travel, etc in common.
i would hazard most 35-40 year olds know more about gaming than younger etc.
a lot is purely state of mindAge is just a number in my book, there's only 3 years difference between my wife 40 and me at 43.
My biggest age gape in a relationship was 13 years when I was 31 & my girlfriend who was 18.
As long as there is love there, it shouldn't really matterI think it would to me.. I have a range back when I was dating. No older than 5 years older than me, no younger that 10 years younger than me..
Depends. If we are talking a hadful or ten years apart, no problem.
If one of the partners could be the other's dad or mom age wise, I smell opportunism or mental issues.Age of consent, aging (as in loss of health), and generation gaps (as in interest and hobby differences), all matter, but like a 1-10 year gap between adults usually doesn't have to matter if they are similar mentally.
Well, let me present this scenario. I'll be 76 in July. According to GaG, you are 32. That makes me 12 years more than double your age. I have PTSD, a damaged shoulder from small arms fire, and a damaged hip from shrapnel I got from a mortar round, both in Vietnam. I've had a TURP, and therefore, no longer ejaculate sperm. No more kids for me. I'm on Social Security and a small annuity to survive on.
The question is, would any of that matter if you got to know me and fell in love?Studies have proven that the larger the age gap, the more likely the marriage will end in divorce. The larger the age gap, the less likely the couple would be able to emotionally connect and relate to each other.
So for the dumbasses who say that age doesn’t matter , IT DOES
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