subject: Why Are Young Women Dating Older Men? [print this page] When a movie star like Michael Douglas married a beautiful young star like Catherine Zeeta Jones, we can understand the mutual attraction, in spite of the age difference. But when our next door neighbor starts going out with a young woman, we suddenly look at them in a different light. The whispers and gossip begin.
We humans think in stereotypes. Unfortunately, our stereotypes are reinforced by the media and the media rarely informs or enlightens us, but generally just tells us what we want to hear. So many women these days are choosing older men as dates, the old "gold digger and dirty old man" stereotypes just don't hold water anymore.
For a change, why not ask the women why they have chosen to date an older man. You might be surprised to discover that the answer doesn't usually fit the stereotype. One common reason cited by women is that older men are more mature than younger men. They enjoy being with a man who is mature and experienced enough to relate to beyond the turmoil of hormonal rushes.
In spite of the well-entrenched myth that youth is sexier than age, many women find a man's signs of aging to be intriguing and to have a certain sex appeal. It's easier for us to accept this in the case of starlets dating superstars like Mel Gibson or George Clooney, but it's not uncommon amongst "normal" men and women, either.
Fifty years ago it was true that wealth was something that was accumulated slowly, over time. Since the eighties, however, young men have been climbing over older men's backs and getting to the top faster than them. The old "gold digger" myth no longer holds water, because a woman today can more easily find a wealthy young man to date than a wealthy older man.
Women dating older men is a topic that's going to be around for a long time. It's happened throughout history and it is accelerating in our culture as the cultural taboos are slackened. It may be time for younger men to take some notes from older men before they get left behind!
