4. You might have different pop cultural references.
An age difference can mean you don’t always like—or know about—the same TV shows, movies, and books.
“Our inner-relationship issues have (fortunately) mostly been about missing each other’s pop-culture references; I don’t understand his 80s movies/song references, and he’s never seen a 90s Disney movie. Or any Nickelodeon TV shows. Or “Boy Meets World”… come on!” Croft bemoaned.
Humor can also differ between older and younger partners.
“I guess the only thing that’s different is that I can be a lot sillier around someone my own age,” the 23-year-old Los Angeles-based woman explained.
5. Experience can be a good thing.
When your partner has considerably more life experience than you, it can feel a little intimidating. But it also provides opportunities and advantages you might not encounter dating someone your own age.
I have found that being with someone older can provide a unique support system; he has gone through a lot of things that I am currently going through (i.e. being out on my own for the first time, the frequent existential crises that you experience in your 20s, etc.) so he is my rock in a way that a person my age might not be able to be,” Croft wrote. “He can be extremely empathetic and/or give practical advice because he’s actually “been there” before.”
It’s also OK to admit you have something to learn.
“I’m continually struck by my girlfriend’s maturity, the strength of her values, and the way she chooses to live her life; things that, I believe, come in large part from age and experience,” the 25-year-old man said.
She encouraged him to grow and be independent, he explained:
“She’s had enough experience both in life and relationships to know that we need to grow individually in order to grow together and that we need to always respect each other. This is one small example, but it always means a lot that she encourages me to go do my own thing because she knows that when we are together, our relationship will be that much stronger if we’re both allowed the freedom to be ourselves. It’s this kind of trust that, so far, is awesome. I think it part it comes from age and experience.”
“They just straight up have more life experience. This guy was divorced. He’d had like seven jobs whereas I had, like, two. He’d lived in three cities since [he] graduated high school, all for extended periods,” Maya L. said, describing a 37-year-old partner. His life experience wasn’t strictly professional, either.
She added, “He was good at sex.”
Curated by Erbe
Original Article