What's the acceptable age difference in a relationship?

Brutal Peanut

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Oct 15, 2010
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My spouse is seven years older then I am - didn't seem to bother either of us...or anyone else for that matter. Probably because when we met and the relationship became serious, I was nineteen and only a couple months from twenty.

As long as everyone is legally an adult and consents to the relationship, it's not really my business. Doesn't mean I still don't get the heebie-jeebies from 60 year-old sugar-daddies and their (just-turned) 18 year-old arm candies.
 

Souplex

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Jul 29, 2008
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There's the age-old rule of "Older party's age/2 +7".
 

Fujimora_Pantsu

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Feb 26, 2012
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Personally? The older a person is, the larger the age bracket I can accept them going out with.
A 20 year old and a 40 year old is a big no-no, but a 70 and 90 year old is fine to me.
 

Starik20X6

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Oct 28, 2009
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The aforementioned xkcd rule is a good benchmark, but I've broken it before... They emotional and physical maturity of both parties also plays a part in whether or not it's weird for two people to date.
 

VelvetHorror

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Oct 22, 2010
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I could be evidence on how there isn't much of a limit as long as it is consensual and legal. I am 22 years old and am in a relationship with a 43 year old woman. We're even living together now. At first I thought our relationship was odd/unusual but I quickly grew not to care what others might think. We make eachother happy, laugh, and we are intellectual equals.

I think the thing that really matters is what you are looking for. If you are looking for someone to go clubbing with, generally you want someone who is young. If you want someone that you can enjoy a relaxing evening with at home, watching a movie, generally you want someone older.

I had been in a few relationships with women my age and they didn't work the way I had hoped. I have found that women my age are looking for guys that have qualities that would further down the line, make them hate them. These are called the douche bags. However my girlfriend had already been down that road and didn't like where it ended up. She's had some experience and has a good head on her shoulder that I admire.

To me, as long as it's legal, consensual, and true; don't care about what others think about it. Love is love, simple as that. I don't care a single bit if someone stares when I give my girlfriend a kiss in the grocery store.(or a quick grope :p )
 

Elementary - Dear Watson

RIP Eleuthera, I will miss you
Nov 9, 2010
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Kendarik said:
Elementary - Dear Watson said:
Kendarik said:
Ordinaryundone said:
I've always heard the acceptable low end was half your age, plus 7.
That's just a silly internet meme.
Actually it's been around a lot longer than that! I heard it way back when I was in school!
Um, if your birthday is correct in your profile then you would have been in school for the early days of the internet.
Aye, that would be correct, but back in the early days when people didn't get facts and information from the internet... in fact most people didn't even use the internet then! We didn't have it in school, we had Acorn computers... and then we had Windows 98, but no internet...! It was one of those facts that people just kind of knew, and spread!
 

Brightzide

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Nov 22, 2009
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Im 20 and dating a 23 year old. Once you break free of the binds of the school systems age sorting, it doesnt seem nearly as big a gap or difference. You're both adults by this point too, so dont look at it any other way.
 

renegade7

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Feb 9, 2011
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Half your age plus 7.

So if you're 18, the acceptable minimum age is 16 (18/2+7=16), and the maximum age is 22 (22/2+7=18).
 

SonOfVoorhees

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Aug 3, 2011
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As long as she has a brain, a sense of humour and i found her attractive....then age dont matter. My last girlfriend was 8 years older than me and she was awesome. Age becomes less relevant to a partner as you get older.
 

Guffe

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Jul 12, 2009
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Just like most people the half age +7 is pretty good for an avergae but if it goes a year or so under that won't make a difference unless it's like a 15-year-old dating a 12 year old... that'd just be weird for me, and also like 60 dating a 20-year-old, I don't care if you think love is the power of the universe in that case some common sense is to be used.
 

The Night Angel

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Dec 30, 2011
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I'd say that it is about a year either side for most teens, then 18/19 year olds can extend upwards to the early 20s, once you're in the mid twenties, it doesn't matter too much, and become way more subjective. I am nearly 22, and was dating a 26 year old a few months back.
 

lumenadducere

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May 19, 2008
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It's all relative and dependent on the individuals and the cultures they're in, but the reason it's a bigger deal at younger ages is because a few years when you're younger involves much more change and growth than when you're older. So you change much more from 16 to 18 or 18 to 20 than you do from 25 to 27. But again, it's dependent on individual cases.