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BadTurkey
Guest
I’m a 29-year-old guy. What’s the socially accepted lower age cutoff for me when it comes to dating? 24? 22? I don’t want to appear to be robbing the cradle. Thanks.
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Tosk
Guest
no younger than 21 and no older than 34.
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Arwen037
Guest
I don’t know what others say about it, but I’ve heard of the “half your age plus seven” rule. It’s basically the youngest you can date. It might be a little different if it comes out below the age of consent. But in your case it would come out to about 22. I don’t know about older.
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ljubim
Guest
No younger than 20, 21 or 22 ish sounds good. Are you just wondering, or is there somebody you’re thinking of? 
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redrosetea
Guest
That is for you to decide…My grandmother was 10 years older than my grandfather
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pentecostbaby
Guest
My advice to friends is this: if they watched the same cartoons as you did when you were a kid, you’re in.
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Angels_Unaware
Guest
If you’re 29, I don’t think you should be dating someone 8-10 years younger than you are. I would be very unhappy if you were to try to date my 19-year old daughter. (Luckily she has a great, long-term boyfriend who’s 22). I think at your age a good rule of thumb is no more than 5 years younger, with some flexibility depending on the person.
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havana1
Guest
If you’re 29: No younger than 29, no older than 40.
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Tosk
Guest
I guess what is socially acceptable also depends on if you’re a man or a woman. It is usually more acceptable for men to date younger women. I have to admit for me 29 and 40 is really starting to get into yuck territory for either sex. Also, if you’re a man looking to start a family a woman’s fertility really starts to decline fast past 40.
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havana1
Guest
Once you’re 29, 30, 31, you can’t look for “younger women” anymore without looking like a perv. That’s “yucky” for me. I have enough stress in my life without a younger woman worried that I’m some dirty old man. If the women your own age aren’t married or spoken for, they’re lesbian, and barring some “Chasing Amy” conversion story, that leaves the women in their 30’s as the most eligible and drama-free. Better odds, too, because nobody’s courting them.
I’d rather date older women than younger ones. No question.
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OLHope
Guest
This is solely your call, your personal preference, and your personal opinion of what works for you.
I think what you need to be thinking is if this person is ready for what you want in life. Are your intentions for a responsible/respectable relationship, or courting for marriage… etc… then you have to feel out whether this person fits the bill.
She could be 18 or she could be 40. It does not matter. You need to figure out whether it is someone you can foresee a good match with and are generally attracted enough to, and you could love enough to protect, and work well with each other for the long haul. This all takes time or if she is game and not too scared…, it will take a lot of talking. Either way, when a man or a woman is that young, they sometimes want their freedom, too and do not want to settle too soon. You have to see if that is the case… if you are willing to remain chaste and committed for as long as it is until they are ready to settle down. This can be a road with a lot of stamina, with hopefully a great future. Use your own discretion.
I generally keep a five year radius around my age for dating, that is just me and who I tend to work well with. Who knows, God always has other plans.
I think what you need to be thinking is if this person is ready for what you want in life. Are your intentions for a responsible/respectable relationship, or courting for marriage… etc… then you have to feel out whether this person fits the bill.
She could be 18 or she could be 40. It does not matter. You need to figure out whether it is someone you can foresee a good match with and are generally attracted enough to, and you could love enough to protect, and work well with each other for the long haul. This all takes time or if she is game and not too scared…, it will take a lot of talking. Either way, when a man or a woman is that young, they sometimes want their freedom, too and do not want to settle too soon. You have to see if that is the case… if you are willing to remain chaste and committed for as long as it is until they are ready to settle down. This can be a road with a lot of stamina, with hopefully a great future. Use your own discretion.
I generally keep a five year radius around my age for dating, that is just me and who I tend to work well with. Who knows, God always has other plans.
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Tosk
Guest
If you’re 29 year old male you stand a better chance of finding a spouse if you look younger. My friend was going through the same thing, every available girl his own age was already married and divorced and because of religion that means they are off limits.
It seems the only way for an older man to catch a good catholic spouse is to get her young before somebody else does.
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Brenda_V
Guest
Quite frankly this is not true. There are still women out there who have never been married and have been celibate who are in the 28-35 year old age range. I know of at lest three of them!If you’re 29 year old male you stand a better chance of finding a spouse if you look younger. My friend was going through the same thing, every available girl his own age was already married and divorced and because of religion that means they are off limits.
Brenda V.
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OLHope
Guest
I agree with Brenda, you are wrong, dead wrong! See the movie “13,” it will scare the daylights out of any parent in America…, chances are pretty good that by the age of 18, many women, like men have faltered in one way or another…, the OP could be concerned about going to young because there is this problem in youth that stems from the teenage years to the twenties (or further for some who cannot regain their sense of self or faith) that I believe have to do with hormones, now many people will take the advice of their loved ones and concerned friends to heart when faced with a difficult choice, but others, unfortunately must learn from their own mistakes, because you can lecture someone until they are blue in the face, but if their own intent is to give into their own bad choices, then their mind is made up and you only need to tell someone once in order to get the point across, lest you come down with the sin of wrath. Let go and let God.If you’re 29 year old male you stand a better chance of finding a spouse if you look younger. My friend was going through the same thing, every available girl his own age was already married and divorced and because of religion that means they are off limits.
I took great offense at your comment, **" every available girl his own age was already married and divorced and because of religion that means they are off limits." That is simply not true, it is harder for women to find that in a guy, young or old.
“It seems the only way for an older man to catch a good catholic spouse is to get her young before somebody else does.**” Like I said, would an 18 year old girl with multiple lesbian experiences, but never married be a better match for an older man over a 30 year old woman who never married but had two long term boyfriends? Most of my single girlfriends are grossed out by older guys, I do not pry, so I do not ask specifics. Not all the money in the world could turn my interest around.
Another hypothetical:
Do you think an 18-22 year old woman, who, if by persuasion married a much older gentleman could be swayed enough in a Catholic marriage to settle down with the possibility that having perhaps 20-30 children until she is 58ish seem like a great deal for her? When older Catholic men suggested that to me at that age, I would not show up to church for a while just to avoid these men. I was disgusted, I was overwhelmed simply in conversation only. Yuck!
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BadTurkey
Guest
So at 29, I’m an “older guy” now? Didn’t even realize I have now moved into that category!
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Arwen037
Guest
I wouldn’t put you into that category. But mind you, I probably wouldn’t go that much older than me. What with men having a shorter lifespan than women, statistically he’d die like 15 years before me.
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OLHope
Guest
Uh oh,
now this is something that can spark controversy. 
Technically anyone born 20 years before 1982 is a GenX’er if that is any consolation or help. Anyone born before 2002 is part of the GenY’er, aka, the ME generation, aka generation expectation, aka the entitlement generation…( I think the media just keeps giving them names as the more spoiled our kids seem) who knows, they can’t be that entitled if they, too are having problems finding jobs…,in any case, I would suppose you are a cusp. LOL Sorry for spinning!
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Tosk
Guest
I am sure there are “some” but you do increase your dating pool more if you date younger rather than older. Plus many women will not date a man much younger than them, so going older isn’t always an option. I am not talking about a huge difference here maybe 7 years at the most.
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BadTurkey
Guest
Judging by the replies, I take that me dating a 23-year-old would be OK?
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Tosk
Guest
That is only a 6 year difference. 29 is just not that old and 23 is just not that young. Why would you be worried to begin with?
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