i like the study of carrol gilligan she says e stages we go through or should go through. 1st being egocentric all about ourself. then 2nd ethnocentric we see and care outside of our self then 3rd being worldcentic caring about all people around the world. yes i think we change for the better the older we get or we should. like the littature from homer shows he became more a softy and romantic the older he became.

I think that all depends on the quality of previous experiences. Age multiplies to the possibility of having experiences but has nothing to do with the quality of past experiences.

I agree with others in that it comes down to the individual and their personal traits. For me, any relationship is about compromise and being willing to accept all of the flaws that you each have and knowing that the upside outweighs any downside by an order of magnitude; nobody is perfect. But some people can't compromise, and others can. At least, that's my perspective!

I think it depends on each individual life story. Each person has a level of tolerance and endurance for joy and pain (everything in between) on the physical, emotional, psychological levels. With each experience, we learn or lose something of ourselves. This determines if we are open or closed to forming deep relationships.

If opened to a possible new relationship then knowing oneself and what you have to offer and what you need in return will help in exploring that option.