Age span between partners

[Blackthunder01]

It's all kind of strange in the long run.  I'm 29 so when thinking in terms of the college crowd (which I barely still fit into), I could concievably go out with a 21 year old and it's not creepy.  However, considering the life I've lived in these past 10 years, I feel like anyone younger than me is almost creepy.  I'd love to find a young girl with an old soul.

[Navarre]

The spiritual nature and wisdom I admire in many older people is hard to find in a younger person. So I'm with you there.

But the lack of a jaded attitude, less emotional baggage, greater optimism, less focus on the mundane, and general joy of living is usually greater in younger people.

Finding the right mix is the hard part. But that is why I assert that, if you do, the age of the adult person is irrelevant.

[litanyofthieves]

My general rule is it's always been more about individual personalities and maturity than actual age. I judge largely on a case to case basis.

The fact remains that people who are close in age often date each other for unsavory reasons. People do have the right to be jerks and perverts. Frankly, if both parties are well aware of what they're getting into (I'm dating you because you have money, you're dating me because I'm hot/to piss off your ex/whatever) then they can do it all they want.

There obviously are different standards when one party is underage - but that's a whole other discussion topic.

I have had friends who have dated despite a 15-20 year age gap and found it to be just fine.

[Navarre]

Yeah, I'm not talking about dating someone underage. That is a different topic dealing with legal issues and perceived morality.

I have never dated anyone older than myself and have never found myself interested in an older woman (though I would have no problem with it if I found such a woman who was right for me).

I seem to date/marry women about 7 years younger than I am. Even that becomes a topic of discussion and occasional ribbing, which is fine.

So I suspect the reaction would be a lot more extreme if I was involved with someone where the age span was over twice that. Again, I don't care. I just don't understand the big deal.

[greyman24]

Maturity is the key.

Bigger issue is when you add kids into the mix. Let's say the 45 year old guy has a kid the same age as the girl he's dating. That gets weird fast.

A woman's biological clock comes into play, too. Yeah, people are having kids later and later in life, but often not without a good deal of expense and bother.

I know I had a hard and fast rule (even when I was in my 20's) that no one under 24 has a brain in his/her head when it came to most mature decisions, so there's that.

Anyway, even with those things in mind, whatever two people do that doesn't hurt anyone else is no nevermind to me.

[The Mighty King Cobra]

I think age only matters when age matters...   That is to say that two or more adults in a relationship will need to
figure it out for themselves...