When I was a teenager, I thought people in their 20’s were the most attractive. Now that I’m about 40, I still think people in their 20’s are the most attractive. It’s hard for me to believe that I might ever be attracted to someone past retirement age, even when I’m past retirement age myself, unless the person is like one of those celebrities who look way younger than they are.
This isn’t something I can comfortably ask most older people I know, but there’s one man who admits that he isn’t and one woman who is. Which is more normal?
There is a reason why retirement homes and nursing facilities are the #2 highest locations for STIs, behind college campuses.
I tend to find people around my age the most attractive. I’m in my mid thirties. 20 year olds look like babies to me and the idea of being with one in any sense is not appealing.
This wasn’t the case when I was younger. A 30 year old wasn’t attractive to me when i was 20.
Yes the riper the banana the sweeter the taste…
I’m in my mid-thirties and I know that I’m going to be not as marketable to people even 5 years younger than me. I have a soft spot for older people and have been attracted to those twenty or ten years from me. The conflicting part I keep approaching is that if I theoretically date one of them, they’re going to die before I will and I’m not sure I’m equipped to handle it when they get older and are going to need a lot of assistance. I mean if the love is strong enough, exceptions may be made but I’m still uncertain.
Love can age like wine, but it varies from person to person.
Obviously I’m going to find those 10 years younger than me attractive, but is it really because it’s their personality or because I’m wondering how they look without their clothes? Their personality would probably wind me down quick so it’s physical at this stage.
I am in a long term relationship, so I’m not walking around looking for options. However, I am in my mid-forties, and I genuinely find people (of any gender) around my own age the most attractive, including on a purely physical level.
Anyone younger than mid-thirties or so just look like children (not literally, but it’s the best analogy I can think of). I don’t find them physically appealing. I obviously cannot say if this will continue to be the case as I get older, but as of right now, it’s true.
As seems to be the consensus, I still find people in their 20s physically attractive, but the prospect of spending any significant amount of time talking to most people more than 5 or so years separated from my age is pretty exhausting. If we’re talking long term relationships, I’d rather compromise a bit on looks in favor of a roughly contemporary personality than vice versa. And, as I get older, my threshold for “attractive” softens a bit to accommodate that personality.
Great answer!
As a 40 something this pretty much matches my thoughts.
I would add that my hormones have settled down in the last 20 years as well. Like when you’re 20 there’s this “imperative” to pursue sexual encounters. Now it’s still there but it’s just more sensible.
I’ll also add that I think around 30 is the most appealing age. I probably thought that when I was 18 too.
I’m definitely not old (~30), and my preference has generally been my age +/- 5 years.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that my sexual attraction has migrated from being solely based on physical attributes to being partially based emotional connection, intelligence, passion, etc.
I think it’s also important to note that an individual’s “peak attractiveness” can occur at different stages of their life.
As someone markedly older than that, physical attraction is always worth appeciation, but the ability to understand and discuss our world in a nuanced fashion without having to explain things at an overly simple level is priceless.
It comes as no surprise that sexual urges dip as you age. Having someone you can really relate to, though, never gets old.
You’re developing romantic attraction. It’s different from sexual attraction, but usually people think of them as one and the same.
I disagree that it can only be romantic attraction.
For example, I can find a random person attractive if they’re displaying a skill they’re proficient in, talking passionately about a subject they’re knowledgeable in, or freely enjoying themselves. And all without feeling any kind of romantic inclination towards them.
It’s primarily sexual despite the fact it’s not necessarily physical
Are you talking about physical attraction or emotional attraction? The peak for most people physically is in their late 20s IMO but as I have gotten older Im more interested in spending time with my peers than a hot twenty something. The emotional attraction matters to me a lot more now.
What do you mean by “emotional attraction”? I enjoy spending time with my good friends, and I would even say that I love them in the way that friends love each other, but I am not attracted to them.
All the aspects of romantic attraction that aren’t physical?
But are you saying that there can be romantic attraction without significant physical aspects, or are you talking about romantic attraction with fewer (but still some) physical aspects but more emotional ones?
Yes. These two are different things. Most people experience both, some only one of the two, and Jaiden experiences none of that.
Fewer physical and more emotional.
I would say maybe a case of what are you referring to as attractive. I’m also iny 40s and would say 20s looks good, BUT, the gap in lived experiences, world views, musical tastes, etc, would get tiresome very quickly.
I also recognize that I’m not some Hollywood hero pretty myself, so trying to base a relationship on what is physically appealing as the first thought is not going to go far.
Dated a girl almost 10 years apart, not that huge in the grand scheme of things. We didn’t have a thing in common and it didn’t last long…never again
It’s hard for me to believe that I might ever be attracted to someone past retirement age
If you’re looking for a connection beyond just physical, someone drastically younger (yet still an adult) is missing much of the life experience you have. They maybe unrealistically idealistic. They may not have experienced other cultures. They may take religion at face value as the truth. All of these things are usually things that change with age. I think I would run out of patience interacting with someone that wasn’t my peer in life as a partner.
Your body is 40. You’re still 12.
I’m sure that holds up well in court
Dunno, I find myself being less and less attracted to anybody more than 5-6 years younger than me.
As a 40 year old male I find that character becomes a bigger factor, even if it sounds cheesy. Sure, a hot but bland 20 something can be attractive and that will not change, but I would rather spend my time with an interesting 60 year old. Maybe it is because I am no Adonis either. But I also like to believe that a DiCaprio type situation would make me deadly afraid of taking advantage of someone at a much different stage of life.
I would also theorize that as it becomes more difficult to guess the age by looks alone character becomes a more important differentiator. Of course some signs of age can not be hidden, but there are plenty of 18 year olds dressing much older as well as lots of older women not giving off grandma vibes.
I’ve always been attracted to folks with cute & youthful vibe. But when I was a teen that was pretty restricted to other teens, even the ‘young looking’ twenty year olds who were playing high-school students on TV obviously looked older and therefore less attractive to me.
But now I’m in my 40s my range of who looks youthful and hot is much wider. Now I find 20s hotter than teens, 30s can look pretty youthful, and I’m not super attracted to older people, but I find them less gross because I’m used to what older bodies look like (I have one!). And since physical attractiveness is just one part of overall attraction, I’d probably find a cute & 39 person more overall attractive than cute & 19, just because my experience is that most 39 year olds are funnier and more socially skilled than teenagers.
I can’t imagine every finding a 70 year old hotter on a physical level to 20 year old. But I can imagine being so content and in love with my elderly partner that I didn’t care that much.
I’m 30. At this point, 21-year-olds are nice to look at but generally horrible to talk to. I’d not really want to date someone under 25 because they’re immature, inexperienced with life/politics, and often annoying. I’ve always preferred people who are just above my own age because I like to engage socially and intellectually with my partners.
Maybe if I had a lot of money and wanted to hire a sex worker, I’d go for someone under 25 (depends on the person), but for actual intimacy with someone I want to keep around? Someone my age, please. I feel physical repulsion at the thought of being with a teenager or someone in their early 20s.
It’s probably somewhat normal to find younger people physically attractive, but what does that mean to you? Are you going to be marrying someone who is 21 at 50? That’s not typical and won’t be easily accepted.
You don’t have to fantasize about wrinkles or whatever to be attracted to an older person. Mariska Hargitay is fucking hot, so is Gillian Anderson, Jonathan Frakes, and Karl Urban. It’s not because they’re old, it’s because they’re still good-looking despite age and maintain their bodies.
