Metrocards & Condoms

There is a well known phenomenon of women in their mid-twenties preferring to date men in their late twenties and often early to mid-thirties. Why does this happen?

The first reason is that on the whole women mature faster than men. Women are often not just more mature, but more personally grounded than men of their same age in their early twenties. So in a way, because they mature more quickly, these women are really just dating men who are emotionally their own age.

In turn, these older men (unless they have gone the path of jadedness) better understand what women want and need, for the simple fact they’ve been around dating women for longer. Be it by trial and error of trying different dating approaches, their increased maturity, or a combination of both, older men are just a better dating experience than guys in their mid twenties.

In turn, for men, dating younger women is oftentimes a much more enjoyable experience. Women in their early and mid-twenties are less likely to be jaded, more likely to be free-spirited, and not yet that focused on issues of marriage as their late twenties counterparts.

It all makes so much sense, but in practice can be a little bit awkward if you think about it too much. Let’s say a twenty-three year old woman dates a thirty-five year old man, as in fact often happens.

Based on the above it has a huge chance of being a great combination…but when the man was twelve years old, that woman was born. While he was running around beginning adolescence, that baby was nursing. Had he met the child at thirteen he could have bottle fed it and helped changed its diaper.

There’s just something unsettling about that….just so……. unsettling.