Why do some people freak out about an older man and younger woman dating and getting married?

Question

In the past, it seems like some parents considered men that were quite a bit older as marriage material for their daughters because they were good, strong men. How is a young man any different? He can want to get in a girl's pants just as much as an older one.

Answer 1

Because they do not understand that true love has nothing to do with age.

Answer 2

I wonder how prevalent the negative attitude still is about older men and younger women. In a casual search I see quite a few references to the cougar phenomenon but virtually nothing about the converse. There is not even an entry (yet) in Wikipedia. I'm 63 and seeing a woman 43. I am not wealthy and ours is a love relationship. My lady is quite mature and at times I forget that she is younger. I am biased but feel that once a woman has established a healthy sense of herself she may choose to be with an older man. I treat mine as a total peer although I do offer advice once in awhile based on my greater life experience and she is glad to listen and take what she wants. In my parents' generation our age split would not have been accepted, but my generation and ones after challenged many societal attitudes abnout what it is right or wrong to do. IJeff

Answer 3

Well, I think it all boils down to these are different times. There was pedophilia a long time ago too, but peoples' values have seemed to change as time goes on. My grandfather was nothing like my brothers at 20 years old. He was in World War II, taking care of his ailing mother and married to my grandmother. He was a leader, he was strong, he was mature. My brothers, they don't even take care of themselves let alone the three children one of them has. They are not leaders, and they won't get into the military because of the war like most people, they CAN'T go because one has a felony gun charge, and both don't want to stop smoking weed. My brothers are now 22 and 24, doing the same things. There's no way in hell I'd ever let anyone w/ that low of maturity date my child!! Would you? Oh, and just because you are older doesn't mean that you are any stronger or wiser than any other that's younger than you. It depends on the person. I think that with the changing times people are realizing that.

Answer 4

I happen to be a woman with a younger man. My man and I have a 12 yr age difference. It was hard at first seeing the dirty looks people would give us and some even assumed he was my son, but we know what we have is real and that we love each other. We just don't let society and others beliefs get to us. Love is love.....and people shouldn't judge if others are in love, even though they do. I just know this man is the right one for me regardless of what others may think concerning our ages.

Answer 5

Times they are a changin.
My Great Grand father was 50 when his wife died and so he went back to St Lewis to find a new wife and maried a 16 year old and brought her back to his home in Neb. No one said anything about it being perverted or anything.
But this was in the late 1800s and things like that happened all the time then.

If I were to try that today I would be concidered a child molester and pervert and end up in jail for twenty years.

Answer 6

I don't know, it has some to do with heritage and culture as well, because generally hispanic families tend to want their daughters to marry a slightly older stable man. So who knows. I guess people just assume that because they are closer in age, it's more moral? What a sick impression!

Answer 7

They do it for a lot of reasons. Jealousy, taboo, going against what they think is the cultural norm. Some people have preconcieved ideas or notions about the older man/younger woman connection. I'm all for it personally.

Answer 8

i dont really think it is bad as long you are older like 29 and 45 or something like that isnt bad but if a 13 was going otu with a 20 year old thats gross. i know a guy who is in his 50s and he is married to a 29 year old

Answer 9

Jealousy

Answer 10

Who knows? I have a friend who's husband is 21 years her senior. He was her softball coach and persued her when she was 15. She is now 23 with 2 kids. I think it's kind of wierd...IMO it's like dating your dad. Eww.

Answer 11

Maybe its just wrong.My mother and dad when they had me my mother is sooooo much younger then me i'll still think how on earth did they get together cause its weird even for me.