Inspired by this thread, I’m interested to know your age-related dating habits.
Personally, I’ve never been interested in people much younger than myself as I just don’t tend to find them that interesting or have much in common with them. When I was much younger, I dated people 5-10 years older than myself as a matter of course - not that I hunted them down, but I just found them more interesting.
For the record, I’m 40, female and gay, and my current partner is 39. I’d be grateful if you could supply the same information.
I’m male, straight, and not dating anymore, but when I did, I didn’t really have a strong preference. Dated fairly younger, much older, and around the same. More a matter of what we had in common, or what interesting differences, etc.
Female, bi, 27 years. I prefer to date women around my own age, because they seem to be in more or less the same place I am, life and mentality-wise. Guys my age, on the other hand, seem to be having problems letting go of their early twenties/college years, so I tend to date men in their mid-to-late thirties. My current boyfriend is 38.
I think I just like people who are late 30s-early 40s. I’ve date people around that age ever since I was 19. I’m not sure what that says about me - that I like more sophisticated, worldly people? That I’ve always been middle-aged at heart? I actually find people aged 35-45 more attractive physically as well, which is in contrast to some comments in the thread I linked to in the OP.
I’m 23, female, straight, and have never dated anyone more than 3 years older than me. Though that’s not intentional. I’d be willing to date someone younger than me, and I’d also be willing to date someone more than 3 years older than me. It’s just never worked out that way. My current boyfriend is 26 and he’s technically the oldest guy I’ve dated.
I am a straight guy and you forgot something. Willing to date someone of any age. While the odds are I would not find someone 20 years old interesting enough to date, it would be possible. I have dated women that were 10 years younger and 10 years older than I am. And if there wasn’t an ocean between us, I would currently be trying to convince a woman 14 years younger than me that she should spend more time with me.
I doubt I’m middle-aged at heart. At least I hope not. I have gotten to the point where 21 year olds look so young to me now, so maybe I am. I’ve always skewed older with my guy dating, which makes me think there may be something to the theory of males maturing slower than females, as I’ve no trouble at all being attracted to and relating to women my own age.
And I find members of any age group attractive as long as they make a fair effort at taking care of themselves.
I’ve historically preferred to date people within two and a half decades in either direction of my age, beyond which age isn’t much of a consideration.
Hmm… when I was quite a bit younger the bracket was smaller but the same idea.
I definitely prefer to date younger but I don’t have much in common with people more than 6 years younger than me. If they can’t get into bars it would limit the thing we could do. I was hanging out with my best friend’s little sister a couple of weeks ago and while we had fun there were a lot of references that she didn’t get and it was awkward sneaking her into the bars with us.
So, I went within 5 years of my age although I have a much harder time relating to women older than me so it’s more like a year or two older.
Men my age are acceptable, but I prefer them substantially older than me (I’m 39). Probably some sick psychological problem, as I am the product of a broken home. sniffle
I used to say that older men were more mature, but I haven’t actually found that to be true.
I prefer to date my age or older, but not “at least 5 years older,” so I picked “within 5 years of my own age.”
I’m a 38-year-old, straight female. My current preference is to date guys who are 40-45, though exceptions can (and have been) made.
I’ve always preferred to date guys my age or older, but the fact that I look 10 years younger than I am has started to make things a little tricky: a 43-year-old who is interested because he thinks I’m 28 might not be someone I want to date.
I voted “other”. These days I put “29 to 50” on my interested-in age range on dating sites. I’m 46, almost 47. It’s not that I wouldn’t necessarily be interested in a woman outside that range, but she’d have to convince me.
I went for the “other” option. I can’t really imagine drawing double yellow lines I wouldn’t cross based purely on the number on someone’s birth certificate (legalities aside, of course). That goes for older or younger. When I became single, I went out on a date with someone who was 23 (I’m 34) and was briefly involved with someone who is 44. The 23-year-old was too young for me based on her life situation, but there could be another woman her age who would not have felt too young. And while the older woman and I were incompatible for reasons that would require another thread to discuss, her age was never a factor in any of that for me.
All that being said, I’m really happy with the woman I’m dating right now, so it’s kind of a moot point, and I hope it stays that way.
ETA: Oops. Per the OP’s request, I’m male and straight.
F/40 I don’t really know what I am and I don’t care a thing about age, gender, nationality or race. My sweetie is 10 years younger, but my last two relationships before that were with men my age.
As long as my partner doesn’t mind giving me a good back scratching on a regular basis I don’t care about anything else.
I would like to date women around my own age just because (at least in theory) I wouldn’t have to explain cultural and literary references as much, or any of the other issues that come along with a significant age difference. The reality, however, is that it age doesn’t seem to matter; most women (or perhaps just people in general) have a memory span that doesn’t extend past the last t.v. viewing season. I’ve also found that the common meme that “older women have less drama” is largely bolsh. If anything, women over 30 seem to just be more comfortable about throwing their drama right out on the table like a three day old fish at the first opportunity, daring you to say anything about it, and then getting huffy when you do put call paid on it. And in my experience I’m vastly more likely to get flaked on by a woman over thirty; younger women (in mid to late twenties) seem more excited and enthused about dating, whereas women older than that often seem very cagey and apprehensive, and not just occasionally spiteful about past experience that I have no responsibility for.
Obviously, I’m painting with a very broad brush here, and I’m not going to deny that the basic socio-evolutionary preference for younger women plays into my perception, but I’m just not finding the benefits to dating women around my own age to be that persuasive, whereas younger women are at least educable and are game to trying new things and not towing a bargeload of reeking baggage along on a first date.
Straight female–your dates are too restrictive. My late husband was 16 years younger than I am, and we were very happy. I would prefer to date within 10 or so years of my age, but would consider wider boundaries. Ages are just numbers, people are people.
Not that I think you’re aiming for political correctness, here, but do you have any idea how ironic the first bolded passage sounds, and how derogatory the second sounds?
Er, where do you think the older women of tomorrow come from? They’re the young women of today. Who may or may not be dating you.
Dating older people does increase your chances of dating someone who’s been married (or is currently!) or who has kids – two things that can change your living situation and world view immensely. Or they’ve got no experience, which can leave you a bit :dubious: (unfairly or no). So I can sort of get behind people not wanting to date older, in general – but if they are that age themselves, it can be a bit hypocritical.
It may be more likely, but there are a lot of people (men and women) in their early 20s who have been married, or had kids, etc. Everyone has baggage of some sort, does age really make you more bitter about it?
I’m only 23 and I’m divorced. I’m also a hell of a lot more laid back after the divorce than I ever was beforehand.