Does love have an age limit?

[Astoria]

Is it just me or do more and more people seem to be taking marriage and love less seriously these days.

I have this friend who after only dating his girlfriend for two months got engaged to her. They are both 17 and she only just graduated from high school.

I also know this other friend who after only a week claimed that he loved his girlfriend more than the world and said they were going to be together forever. He's 15 and has said this to at least two other girls.

Maybe I'm old fashioned or narrow minded or whatever but I feel that unless you are over 16 you don't really understand the concept of love. I also think that you can't be ready for a commitment like marriage unless you've been with someone for 18 months and are settled into a lifestyle (have a job, aren't struggling with money, that sorta thing). Of course there are exceptions but I feel it applies for the majority.

Thoughts everyone? Do you think you have to be a certain age to love someone? Do you think you need to be together for a certain amount of time before getting married?


EDIT: I think people are missunderstanding me so I'll try to be more clearer this time. When I set the age at 16 I'm not saying that everyone under that doesn't understand love and everyone over it does. I'm sure there are 30 year olds out there who understand it just as well as 3 year olds. Just to me 16 seems to be the age when most people start maturing a little more.

Also, with marriage I don't think it's needed to prove love or anything like that but marriage is a big step in a relationship and not something that people should decide to do lightly.

Does that help people more?

 

[Sarahcidal]

I'm not sure there is an age limit on love.. I agree and I would say 16 or 17 would be the age when you could (in theory) begin to experience it.. however I think people tend to rush into a sexual relationship too young because they mistake lust for love.
People rush in to marriage too quickly too I find. I'm 26, married my husband after 8 years last month... I was teased a little for waiting so long by a couple of my friends, meh. At least we both know neither of us are going anywhere
I've known 5 people who were married and divorced within a year simply because they rushed into marriage after 6 months-1 year of dating.. i say they are the crazy ones.
Some people seem to be in a rush to take that step for some reason, not sure why.
(*side note* living together for around a year prior to marriage is also a good idea.. people have some nasty habits, you want to make sure you want to deal with their crap lol)

 

[Count Igor]

Don't put an age on it preez.
I agree that so many people say they "Love" each other when they just fancy them, but there are a fair few teenagers who really know about it and experience it. Myself included.

Of course, if you think what I'm feeling isn't that, it's your opinion, and you're probably right, as I'm not that well experienced in the rest of the world.
But I do know the difference between Lust and Love. Trust me.

As for the married part, I'd say don't get married before something like 25.
After a few years together.

 

[Kasper Gundersen]

No, not an age "limit", more like an age "meter", like: it's OK for a 40 year old and a 50 year old to be together, but a 10 year old and a 20 is not that nice...

 

[SovietSecrets]

I would not say there is a age limit on love. I have friends who have been with their girlfriends since 9th grade and getting married pretty soon. I mean if the two people make each other happy, then who cares? Let them be happy and figure everything for themselves.

 

[Omikron009]

I'm pretty sure psychologists consider any love felt before a certain age...13 is the minimum or something, to be "puppy love". I think people aren't technically able to experience "real" love until age 16 or 17....or something. You know what? I'm talking out of my ass right now.

 

[soperg]

ah yes, you, you made some valid points on the ownership of sun forum, but in this case you asking this question motivates me to post
and now comes my mountain of hate. you saying that any person under the age of 16 simply does not understand the concept of love is like saying all the sudden at 16 tey sprout the intellect for such subjects the very nanosecond that they turn 16. i know 30 year olds that think love is just being willing to have sex with one person regularly and no one else. i think that if they feel they are mature enough to get together then they can get together, and no matter what law tries to stop them they'll probably do it anyway. in this case yes this boy was a womanizing douchebag, but besides that, there are much better examples of humanity out there.

 

[Madara XIII]

Is it just me or do more and more people seem to be taking marriage and love less seriously these days?


Maybe I'm old fashioned or narrow minded or whatever but I feel that unless you are over 16 you don't really understand the concept of love. I also think that you can't be ready for a commitment like marriage unless you've been with someone for 18 months and are settled into a lifestyle (have a job, aren't struggling with money, that sorta thing). Of course there are exceptions but I feel it applies for the majority.

Thoughts everyone? Do you think you have to be a certain age to love someone? Do you think you need to be together for a certain amount of time before getting married?

Hmm interesting thoughts and I do feel that this generation now a days is turning the cocept of love into a steaming pile of feces to the point where I myself call BS the moment one of my friends says he loves a girl.
Honestly in my opinion I do feel that at a certain age limit you do begin to grasp some concept of pure love and affection, but however that requires experience and time. (meaning you actually spend part of your life with the person and learning about each other before just hopping in the sack or getting hitched.....like a dumbass mind you)

Eitherway I'm glad you put up this thread....Now to offend people

LOVE IS DYING AT THE SAME RATE OF THE HYPE FOR DUKE NUKEM FOREVER

 

[Astoria]

ah yes, you, you made some valid points on the ownership of sun forum, but in this case you asking this question motivates me to post
and now comes my mountain of hate. you saying that any person under the age of 16 simply does not understand the concept of love is like saying all the sudden at 16 tey sprout the intellect for such subjects the very nanosecond that they turn 16. i know 30 year olds that think love is just being willing to have sex with one person regularly and no one else. i think that if they feel they are mature enough to get together then they can get together, and no matter what law tries to stop them they'll probably do it anyway. in this case yes this boy was a womanizing douchebag, but besides that, there are much better examples of humanity out there.

I'm not saying that everyone under 16 doesn't understand love just that it seems to me that most people under 16 aren't really in love when they say they are. I'm sure I said I know there are exceptions.

 

[Isaac The Grape]

Is it just me or do more and more people seem to be taking marriage and love less seriously these days.

I have this friend who after only dating his girlfriend for two months got engaged to her. They are both 17 and she only just graduated from high school.

I also know this other friend who after only a week claimed that he loved his girlfriend more than the world and said they were going to be together forever. He's 15 and has said this to at least two other girls.

Maybe I'm old fashioned or narrow minded or whatever but I feel that unless you are over 16 you don't really understand the concept of love. I also think that you can't be ready for a commitment like marriage unless you've been with someone for 18 months and are settled into a lifestyle (have a job, aren't struggling with money, that sorta thing). Of course there are exceptions but I feel it applies for the majority.

Thoughts everyone? Do you think you have to be a certain age to love someone? Do you think you need to be together for a certain amount of time before getting married?

I kissed dating goodbye: it is a good book.

 

[Gindil]

Is it just me or do more and more people seem to be taking marriage and love less seriously these days.

I have this friend who after only dating his girlfriend for two months got engaged to her. They are both 17 and she only just graduated from high school.

I also know this other friend who after only a week claimed that he loved his girlfriend more than the world and said they were going to be together forever. He's 15 and has said this to at least two other girls.

Maybe I'm old fashioned or narrow minded or whatever but I feel that unless you are over 16 you don't really understand the concept of love. I also think that you can't be ready for a commitment like marriage unless you've been with someone for 18 months and are settled into a lifestyle (have a job, aren't struggling with money, that sorta thing). Of course there are exceptions but I feel it applies for the majority.

Thoughts everyone? Do you think you have to be a certain age to love someone? Do you think you need to be together for a certain amount of time before getting married?

This has been an argument for millenia. Odd to say you're "old fashioned". Shakespeare had a mistress or two in his day as well.

OT: He's being a needy little git unfortunately. It looks like he as well as the girls haven't really grown up to have a good relationship.

But setting an arbitrary limit won't solve the problem. How you make it sound, it's like a rule you follow, which is great, but it limits you. The most freeing thing in the world is when you know you have a relationship with someone. To rush it because of an absolute NEED for commitment is just stupid, really. Let's think about this. Does the girl have fun around you? Can you be yourself around her? Can you all have fun doing nothing at all? Do you make her laugh? Does she love you for who you are and how you make her feel? Those are far more important than some kind of dedication to the relationship. That's the quickest way to start the lonely walk down the aisle by yourself.

 

[blankedboy]

Age != Maturity. This is something that people NEED to realise. I'm 14 (15 soonish), and I can safely say I'm more mature than my 17-year-old brother, and most of the people in his year level.

Which is pretty weird when you think about it.

 

[archvile93]

I don't believe there's a specific age you have to pass before you can experience real love. However, I've never experienced love or anything similar at any point in my life so take that for what you will.

 

[Smooth Operator]

As soon as your body matures enough in puberty you can feel love like everyone else, so that is your only age limit.
The other thing is added experience, someone falling in love for the first time will be untainted by disappointments and betrayals and for them love will actually be in it's purest form (like the first time you smoke some crack).

There is no understanding to love, you only get more skeptical as you experience it's downfalls.
So in my mind someone younger can "understand" love far better, they can enjoy it as it is.

But relationships are a whole new kettle of fish, noone should ever take it too far while hyped up on love, getting married young will bite you in the ass every single time, the love trip is really fun but it also makes you ignore any and all faults your partner has, and once the infatuation wears off the reality will hit you like a wrecking ball.
But by that time you could already be married, have a house together, maybe some loans, or worst of all have children.

 

[Kevonovitch]

yes, it's w/e your comfortable w/

 

[EeveeElectro]

I've always hated it when people seem to think just because you're young, you lack emotions.
Two 14 year olds dating for a week then claiming they love each other, can't live without each other is ridiculous, as it would be at any age.
I think it's lust that's felt prominently in the first few months of the relationship, and lust makes you do/say silly things.

 

[somonels]

Dunno, haven't hit it yet, maybe misanthropy delays if a few decades.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Is it just me or do more and more people seem to be taking marriage and love less seriously these days.

I have this friend who after only dating his girlfriend for two months got engaged to her. They are both 17 and she only just graduated from high school.

I also know this other friend who after only a week claimed that he loved his girlfriend more than the world and said they were going to be together forever. He's 15 and has said this to at least two other girls.

Maybe I'm old fashioned or narrow minded or whatever but I feel that unless you are over 16 you don't really understand the concept of love. I also think that you can't be ready for a commitment like marriage unless you've been with someone for 18 months and are settled into a lifestyle (have a job, aren't struggling with money, that sorta thing). Of course there are exceptions but I feel it applies for the majority.

Thoughts everyone? Do you think you have to be a certain age to love someone? Do you think you need to be together for a certain amount of time before getting married?


EDIT: I think people are missunderstanding me so I'll try to be more clearer this time. When I set the age at 16 I'm not saying that everyone under that doesn't understand love and everyone over it does. I'm sure there are 30 year olds out there who understand it just as well as 3 year olds. Just to me 16 seems to be the age when most people start maturing a little more.

Also, with marriage I don't think it's needed to prove love or anything like that but marriage is a big step in a relationship and not something that people should decide to do lightly.

Does that help people more?

Love is such a hugely subjective thing that it would be asinine(not to mention dickish)to put any sort of age limit or "qualifications" to it.

I don't really care to tell others what age that love officially starts, nor do I care to tell them how long they have to wait to get married. It's their choice, their feelings, not mine.

 

[TaboriHK]

"Love" as a feeling, no. "Love" as a state of harmonious existence, yes. If your age has the word, "-teen" at the end of it, you're not going to have the latter.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

It depends. Most people I know under 16 don't really get it. However, one of my friends has been with his girlfriend since he was 13 (7 years), I would definitely say that they love eachother, and have done for a very long time.

And people say romance is dead!