I read somewhere that the following is an accepted guideline for age difference for a male anyway.. but of course it depends on the couple..

Acceptable age difference is half your age +7

First, you look a lot younger than your actual age! But, I digress. Personally, I prefer people in by age range +/7 years.

My response is that I don’t feel that we could possibly want the same things. We are at such different places in our lives that it just doesn’t seem like it’s a feasible relationship. I also seem to attract younger guys more so than ones my own age. Sometimes I wonder if that means that I am immature...

I have to say that I'm very happy that you're cognizant of the dilemma at the age difference presents. That is not to say that you and he couldn't have a very long loving relationship but there will be a point where he's going to still be young relatively young and then he's going to have to take care of you. that is unless God forbid he gets a rare disease and you have to take care of him. It is something that he has to come into with his eyes wide open it is something that you have to talk about with him.

I am a massage therapist and I have seen first-hand (pun intended) what kind of effect it has on people when they enter into these kinds of relationships where the age difference is tremendous. Of course it's made more complicated when the couple ends up having children. I had one client where the female in the relationship was in her late 20s or early 30s and the guy in the relationship was in his 60s. When I met them she was in her fifties and he was in his 80s and their two kids were in college. the wife had to explain all the time that that was her husband not her father and the kids always had to explain to people that he was their dad not their grandfather and he struggled because he wanted to do things and be as lively as they needed him to be but he just could not. this is the relationship that I saw more in depth but I shall more. There was one where there was some disparity and age but the real problem was that he got dementia and she was in denial and when that happens it doesn't matter whether there's one year difference or 10 years.

15 years younger or half my age? She would be 16-17 years old.

My response: GET AWAY!!!!

Whatever and whomever you are comfortable with.l don't think you are too old for me at all. ?

I feel like you. My daughter is 43 and anyone even approaching that decade is a real yuk for me. 15 years difference is a real stretch as there are other aspects besides chronological.

I think the important thing is just finding a person that is on the same wavelength as you are in life. If they happen to be much younger, or much older then so be it. I have a co worker that is 33, and his wife is 59 I believe, but despite all her current health issues, I don't suspect any foulness in their relationship.

I'm 43 and I have found I just can't relate with most people more than about ten years younger than me. It feels like they're from another planet. I get tired of the blank stares over not just little things like 'the fuck is a rotary phone,' but also things like handling money, relating with family, etc. I don't fault them for having different experiences, but it really feels like we're both trying to cram a square peg into a round hole.

On the flip side, I can't really relate with folks who are older than me, because they always seem to want to treat me like I'm a stupid kid. Yeah, I look younger than my age, but that doesn't excuse the 'I'll tell you when you're older' attitude.

I've always thought you were very attractive. Wish I was younger.

I'm 88. If I was ever approached by anyone under 60, she would likely be a hooker.

I would chastise her nerve and exclaim how dare she stand in my living room completely naked arms thrown wide begging me to do anything I want to her. I would wag a judgemental finger at her and sternly explain why that would be so wrong repeating everything I heard in church and ask her what's wrong with her.
I would point out how perky breasts and smooth skin and no cellulite and no stretch marks and no spare tire around her waste and no scars and no face wrinkles are so unattractive and send her to a nunnery to get her life straightened out.
Nah, just kidding. I'll fuck her and love every second of it. ?

In my experience all my friends were married so it might have made me hurry to marry at 21 and the woman was 34 and had 4 kids. It worked for a couple of years. In the end we remained friends over the years. She's dead now and so are 2 of the kids.

Next I'm 24 and ran off with a 16 year old. Still in the same family as the first one here, but this time around I end up with 2 daughters even though the relationship is not good.

In 1974 I ran off with a woman who had 8 kids and ended up helping raise half of them. She was 18 years older than me and we got along fine. She died of a heart attack in 1984 but my 2 daughters from the earlier marriage had come to live with us. The youngest after I found myself alone again.

In 2004 I went to Kenya at 58 to meet my future wife of the Luo tribe. She was 28 at the time and we were married 12 years. We spent over 10 years of this together. We remain friends today and we had no children together. I haven't seen her in 2 years but we both still live alone.

Throw misguided religion in between all this and there are my loves and relationships. Young or older didn't matter to me. Three white women and one black. No big deal.

Maybe it’s different for ‘older’ women, but I would be suspicious if a much younger woman said she was interested in me. I can’t get women my own age to notice me.

In general, if I were into short term, a younger man would be ok. For a serious relationship, it would be difficult to imagine having a compatible mindset with a younger man. Anything is possible though and I wouldn't necessarily rule out anybody within say, 15 years.

I think age difference is more important during younger years. Seems like a an 18 year old and a 28 year old would be in relatively different places in their lives compared to a 48 year old and a 58 year old. Young people are facing a lot more life changes - education, career, family, while an older person is usually in a more settled state.

Let the other person decide what is best for their own life...women live longer than men and you could have a wonderful life together....why would you be ruining anyone's life if he wants to be with you? The only consideration is if he wants children...in that case, that will be something he has to deal with from the beginning. Things do change, but being middle aged is not a reason to not let love happen.

My relationships have almost all been with women who were either several years older or several years younger, and it has never been a factor in either the attraction or the separation. To your specific point, dating a woman half my age would be a positive experience for her. She would learn about chivalry. She would be at ease with ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, and not feel obligated if she did so. She would be with somebody who is delighted to be seen with her. She would learn what it is like to truly be appreciated.

I personally prefer older women, I have done the part thing I have gone out and been wild. I prefer someone more down to earth and tend to relate a little better with aomeone older than myself.

When I am approched by younger, my first thoughts usually go to what kind of craziness will I have to deal with and would they really want to stay in on a Friday.

At my current age the lowest I think I could go for a long term relationship is 21. Can’t be the guy goin “sorry but my girlfriend can’t get into the bar let’s go to Fridays instead.” It’s also worth remembering that no ones prefrontal cortex/impulse control is fully developed until they’re 25. So if you’re in your 30s or especially 40s I’d try not to go much lower than 25. I mean if you’re not in a position of authority over them and an 18-24 year old wants to hook up, good luck stopping yourself and I probably wouldn’t blame you. But I’m not gonna be terribly optimistic about trying to make a relationship of it.

I lost my virginity to a 31 year old lady when I was 18 and that’s a fantastic combo if you want to break a bed; both genders in their sexual prime; you really need to clear out your schedule for a few days to see where that goes at least once in your life ladies. If you can’t find a good man, raise one, amirite? Lol. I don’t think it would have worked out as a long term relationship though, as badly as we wanted it to. There are exceptions though and for as hard of a time as I’ve had finding love ever since, I’m in favor of casting a wide net. As long as everyone’s health n happiness are augmented rather than detracted from, I see nothing wrong with most legal age gaps. It can be pretty hot for sure.

It might just be because of my current age but I do have sort of a mental double standard where, beyond a decade gap, it’s infinitely less creepy if the woman is older. I mean old men creep me out and they’re not even trying to fuck me, so I guess I just feel extra bad for young ladies. If they’re with a much older guy it usually seems like it’s about money/security/daddy issues, but whatever floats ya boat. I’m not here to judge.

My best friend and lover is 21 years younger than me. Personally, I love it when younger women want me. Hell, I love it when women of almost any age want me.

At 42, “much younger” to me is someone in their 20s or even early 30s, LOL... A huge turn off to me when a guy says: “I like older women,” because I think why say that, you should like me for me not just some generic arbitrary goal that you seek in every partner. Side note: “I like bigger girls” will get an FU and a block from me on a dating site, because that is noooooot a compliment! I have a lot in common with younger guys, but I have some fears against dating one.

I couldn’t do it putting aside the legality of such a relationship any woman that is around 5 years younger than me is too young for me. I need her to be around my age: anything else feels wrong.

I'd faint if any woman said she was interested.

Good Grief. We sure do conjure up enough barriers in our minds, don't we? And guess what - what's going on inside my head and your heads IS NOT REAL.

Ageism to me is bigotry writ large. Now I'm sure I'll get a barrage of, "Well, this is what happened to me..." - and you know what? It doesn't matter what happened to somebody else.

Age is just a number. Race is scientifically irrelevant. If a person is brave enough to express interest in you, why should you do anything but be smart, listen and learn about that person. Prejudging them is so, well, religious.

I prefer men my own age or close to it. I also look young for my age. I've been pursued by men old enough to be my father, but more often by men young enough to be my son. I think the super young ones are sometimes looking for a sugar mama. Not interested in that. I have a son I could spoil, but want him to make it on his own.

The lopsided age thing can be fun in the short term, but from my experiences, the intentions were not always honorable. If you've got something real, then enjoy it. If you feel something's not quite right, and you are hesitating, then you might be right. Every case is different.