# Should a 32-year-old guy ask out a 22-year-old girl? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320 "2003-08-06T13:16:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/21 "2003-08-06T17:44:52Z")
What **pravnik** said. It’s just a date, it’s not an arranged marriage. (I hope.) ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/22 "2003-08-06T18:04:19Z")
As has been pointed out, it isn’t so much the age difference, as it is the life experience difference. Try it out, see if it works. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/23 "2003-08-06T18:30:45Z")
Hubby and I got together when I was 21 and he was 32. We had our 13th anniversary last month. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/24 "2003-08-06T18:53:00Z")
Go for it. My SO is 14 years older and we have a great time. At some age it all starts to average out and the differences don’t mean as much. Just that you don’t remember the same Saturday morning cartoons (except the various Bugs Bunny shows of course). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/25 "2003-08-06T19:01:53Z")
If you have to ask, you shouldn’t do it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/26 "2003-08-06T19:06:00Z")
32 and 22, eh, not that big a deal. It’s a DATE. The entire point to a date is to find out if you’d like to spend more time with the person. If the maturity levels are too far apart, well, you’ll find out on the date. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/27 "2003-08-06T20:24:33Z")
I was 34 when I met the woman I’ve been married to for the past dozen years. She was 23. (So much for Sua’s rule of 7. :)) ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/28 "2003-08-06T20:37:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dropzone \* > **so, 32/2 = 16 and 16 + 7 = 23 so she’s too young for you.** Any age-romance rule that doesn’t involve a geometric mean isn’t worth diddly. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/29 "2003-08-06T20:58:18Z")
Well let’s see I was born 29 Dec 1960, my wife was born on 20 Mar 1961… been 3 happy years so far, but I robbed the cradle! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/30 "2003-08-06T20:58:22Z")
When I was 40, I dated a woman of 24. Hey, she started it. As long as both of you are happy with things, what the hell is the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/31 "2003-08-06T21:12:37Z")
A quick question, how would you feel if the age difference was the other way round? I know I would have been delighted to be asked out by a 32 year old woman when I was 22. It would have worried my parents if it got serious, but I would have been able to convince them eventually. ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/32 "2003-08-06T21:38:18Z")
I’m 45. Gimme her number, **I’ll** call her! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/33 "2003-08-06T21:41:49Z")
I’m not age prejudiced ('cept where the law is concerned) so ask her out, no way you know if she would say yes, unless she asks you out … ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/34 "2003-08-06T21:48:33Z")
**js\_africanus said:** > [@](#): > > Any age-romance rule that doesn’t involve a geometric mean isn’t worth diddly. Yeah. And where are the spec limits? You need spec limits. And error bars. Seriously… The biggest issue I’ve found with wide age disparities is that the older person can tend to dominate the younger person - but it depends on the couple. Just beware of that tendency. Don’t talk down, don’t dismiss her ideas and feelings because she hasn’t ‘been there’. I’d say an age gap like that is one strike. But you’ve still got two more to hit it out of the park. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/35 "2003-08-06T22:02:49Z")
My sis at the tender age of 18 married a 35 yr old. The fact that they are divorcing has nothing to do with that (well a little bit but not pertinent to this discussion). SOOOOOOOO what the heck? Go for it. The worst that can happen is she’ll giggle and say somethin like “oh my heck! Go home grandpa! giggle giggle”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/36 "2003-08-06T22:32:43Z")
> [@](#): > > 32 and 22, eh, not that big a deal. When he was 22, she was 12. Creepy. _shiver_ ---
**Author:** ![RedDevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ec8ea/32.png) [@RedDevil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedDevil)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/37 "2003-08-06T23:03:03Z")
No, not at all. I was 22 when when I starting seeing my husband (he was 32). I’m 31 now and he’ll be 41 in October. The only time I can recall it coming up in conversation is when we have a discussion about children’s programmes, usually after watching scraping-the-barrel shows like "I _heart_ 1971, 72, 73…etc. Choppers, yeah! ---
**Author:** ![LauraLittlePony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LauraLittlePony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LauraLittlePony)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/38 "2003-08-06T23:24:24Z")
I prefer to date way older men. Guys my age are too immature. A few people might look askance, but it’s not that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/39 "2003-08-07T00:19:27Z")
I hope you don’t take too much offense at this, but in my experience, young women who say that they date older men because men their own age are too immature… are pretty immature themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Buckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@Buckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckeye)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320/40 "2003-08-07T00:56:37Z")
I realize back in the 50’s things were a little different, but my mil was 18 when she married my fil who was 33. They were married til the day he died. Go for it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-a-32-year-old-guy-ask-out-a-22-year-old-girl/193320.md?page=3)