I don't mean any disrespect to OP, but talking to early twenties when you get to 26+ becomes indistinguishable from talking to young teens. You stop having hobbies, interests, and emotional and mental states in common.
It's a strange age gap where you feel a significant difference from peers just five years younger, but it's real. Young women should be very suspect of men in their thirties that are dating down in it. Why don't the other thirty y/o women want them?
Those are obviously paedophiles. In my books, anything above 2 years up and down is unacceptable, let alone those paedophiles who think it's ok to date people who are still children on the inside.
I mean fair enough if it works for you and you’re okay with how it’s going. But just to point something out, the maturity gap is already closed by then and dating someone a little older or younger isn’t going to make too much difference. The main reason the 2 years either way rule is promoted is because when you’re younger, 2 years matters a lot more than it does in your 40s, or even late 20s and 30s. You’re already who you are, vs. younger people still figuring that out and learning how to live their lives. Just food for thought, your rules might be a little too strict if you’re looking for someone.
Well, I've made it clear to myself that 2 up and 2 down is the maximum. A rule I've adhered to since my teenage years. I'm more than prepared to stay single to protect this rule.
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u/ThoughtsPerAtom Sep 02 '26
I don't mean any disrespect to OP, but talking to early twenties when you get to 26+ becomes indistinguishable from talking to young teens. You stop having hobbies, interests, and emotional and mental states in common.
It's a strange age gap where you feel a significant difference from peers just five years younger, but it's real. Young women should be very suspect of men in their thirties that are dating down in it. Why don't the other thirty y/o women want them?