Dating: How Big of an Age Gap is "Too Much"?

[Agent Z]

Hell... After my grandmother past away my grandfather found his new girlfriend on a game of ****ing Call of Duty online.

t: The times, they are a-changin'! Good for him.

I pretty much echo the sentiments that the success and allowance of the age gap is relative to where each person is in their respective lives.

While I always believe in "never say never", I would have trouble seeing myself, in my 30's now, dating someone in their mid-20s or younger...because I don't think people actually settle into a true sense of who are they until around that time. I was so lost in my 20s, I swear. Talking to other people my age, I'm not alone in that feeling of suffering through the growing pains of young adulthood.

Still, it's ultimately a case by case basis. There are no absolutes in these things. Hell, I know people in their 40s, 50s and beyond whom never seemed to have left the frat house party of their youth.

 

[Estellise]

I'd say probably 10 years or so.. I would be scared if I dated someone too much older that they would die on me sooner then later and our time together would not be as long as with someone younger.

 

[Lantern Venom]

I think if they're interested in each other and considering dating than obviously the "generation gap" isn't that much of an issue. They already have something in common in that they like each other.

But really... Can you say that we all fit to a generational guideline? I mean I like the Beatles more than anything that's been produced in the past decade. I also love comic books. My favorite movies are almost always black and white. I love Humphrey Bogart. I still watch cartoons. Not just like Family Guy, like Tom and Jerry and the Animaniacs. I like classic literature like Ernest Hemingway and Herman Melville and Chuck Palaniuk (although he's sucked lately) are my favorite authors...

See there's just so much that goes into a person that I don't think that any years could be significant enough to warrant not persuing someone you were interested in. Hell... After my grandmother past away my grandfather found his new girlfriend on a game of ****ing Call of Duty online.

I'm not saying it's impossible for two people of greatly different ages to be in love but it's safe to say it's rare. When you see a situation like Linda Hogan, who's 48, dating a 19-year-old, a common is that there are many disfunctional reasons for a relationship like that.
While interests make up a big portion of who were are, perceptions of things almost always change with time. While I still enjoy some things that I enjoyed as a kid/teen, my thought process and future goals are very different than they were at 25. College girls look like kids to me now. 1 year seems like a much shorter span than it did to me when I was in my 20s. I'm much more safety conscious and financially thifty than I was 10 years ago. Certain events in our lives irrevocably shape us to be different (for better or worse) than we were. Maybe a life experience disparity doesn't always doom a relation but it does make it difficult and uncommon.

 

[Majic Walrus]

I'm not saying it's impossible for two people of greatly different ages to be in love but it's safe to say it's rare. When you see a situation like Linda Hogan, who's 48, dating a 19-year-old, a common is that there are many disfunctional reasons for a relationship like that.
While interests make up a big portion of who were are, perceptions of things almost always change with time. While I still enjoy some things that I enjoyed as a kid/teen, my thought process and future goals are very different than they were at 25. College girls look like kids to me now. 1 year seems like a much shorter span than it did to me when I was in my 20s. I'm much more safety conscious and financially thifty than I was 10 years ago. Certain events in our lives irrevocably shape us to be different (for better or worse) than we were. Maybe a life experience disparity doesn't always doom a relation but it does make it difficult and uncommon.

I agree. Certainly these events are uncommon, but I would say that most relationships are difficult. In the same way that a 19 year old changes so does any other 19 year old on the planet. Many times it's more about growing together than growing up.

I think the reason for these being so uncommon are fairly simple:

1. People far older than you aren't as attractive as people your age (usually, I'm looking at you Raquel).
2. How often to you mingle with seniors when you're still in short pants and a lolipop?

So there's a certian social stigma, there's also an issue of physical attraction, and then there's the issue of meeting someone. I think if you're able to get past the social stigma, find someone much older than you attractive, AND you're able to meet an old person who doesn't immidately remind you of denture cream ads you're well on your way to a relationship.

Successful? Only so much as you make it. I can say that I've had several failed relationships with people my age so if there are any seniors on here that might want to ride the youth wagon just let me know.

 

[pyromaniac]

Okay. I'm 24 next month and my partner is 46. But neither of us act our age, we have a lot in common, and this is the seventh year we've been together.

All our mates and family don't have a problem with it. In fact they get on well with my partner and vice versa because he's a likable, funny, playful person.