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NotTrynaMakeWaves t1_jabzo5p wrote

The problem is never the disparity in ages. People can love who they love.

The problem in 'age gap' relationships are two-fold: power imbalance and life stages

Example 1: 40yr old and an 18yr old. The 40 year old will usually hold more 'power' in the relationship due to more established career/finances but also due to experience. It's easier for a 40 yr old to lie to someone fresh out of childhood than someone who's had life experience. I don't think that this applies here since you are an established adult and in just a few years will have been an adult for longer than you were a child. Any 'power imbalance' in the relationship now is entirely due to personality rather than age. NOTE: while the power imbalance is a danger in all extended age gap relationships that does not mean that it is present in all of them.

Example 2: heterosexual relationships - F35/M55 or F40/M20 or F20/M50 The other issue is 'life stages'. if the woman is nearing the point where she really has to start trying to get pregnant if she wants to start a family then she can hit trouble with a partner who is older and does not want to be a 75yr old by the time his kid leaves home or on the other end a partner who doesn't want to be a dad at 20. Similarly if you're 20 and want to establish a career but your partner wants a child before he's 'too old' then your relationship might buckle under that strain. You're 20 and want to go to clubs and travel but they've done all that and want a quiet life. You and your partner aren't that far apart, you're past your nightclub years and if you're going to be childless then I can't see an issue.

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aceofmonsters13 OP t1_jac041z wrote

Wow, thank you for really explaining this to me. I agree with what you're saying. I will definitely give this guy a chance because I do feel like we're in the same lifestage, and so far he has treated me like an equal. This was really helpful.

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