It depends on what you're trying to accomplish through the relationship.

Marriage, family, children? - probably want someone under 40.

Other than the "biological clock" issues, it doesn't matter.

Tl;dr: life experience and maturity have a greater effect on ones relationship than age.

Story time. 

My ex was 13 years older than me. We started dating when I was 18 and he was 31. The relationship lasted 4 years. The age difference did effect the relationship, but not significantly. Mainly in the sense of us not fully understanding the other's generation. Otherwise we got along just fine and we were both generally content. He used to say he was immature for his age and I was mature for mine.

At this point I would prefer to be with someone around 5 years older than me. I _actually_ want someone who has had a similar amount of life experience and who has developed a certain amount of emotional maturity to assimilate what they have learned into creating a stable, fulfilling life for themselves. Someone who has gotten over the growing pains of young adulthood, but hasn't become jaded or defeated by life's incessant douchieness. People roughly 5 years my senior tend to fall into that niche though I know there are always exceptions. 5 years is just the simple answer.

/end rant

Historically I've been picky with age. I will never date someone who is old enough to be my parent. I have two younger siblings and I'd find it weird if I dated anyone their age, a lot of it cause my brother is an idiot a lot of the time LOL (although since we are all in our 30's now it matters less). Typically I have about a 5year age window and I've always dated older men by a few years. Life experiences play a huge role too, for instance, I went out with someone who was 5yrs older but who was now divorced and he'd been married for 18yrs and had almost adult children, our lives were far too different from one another. Overall though, if you meet someone you click with and you match well, the have a great time .

How did all this end up going, anyway?

Posted by Oryx but hasn't become jaded or defeated by life's incessant douchieness.

I love the way you put that!

Posted by metawaffle I love the way you put that!

Thank you that's actually something I look for in most people I associate with in general.

Posted by metawaffle How did all this end up going, anyway?

Thanks for asking!

I spilled the beans in the best way I knew how, but I since can't get the time of day from aforementioned lady. The magic I thought was there either freaked her out or wasn't mutual.

Either way, there are many other cool things happening in which I could better invest myself.

Me and the wife have an 9 year age difference. Just celebrated two years of marriage. So far so good.

Posted by jeepdave Me and the wife have an 9 year age difference. Just celebrated two years of marriage. So far so good.

Congrats

Posted by Oryx Congrats

Thanks!

Posted by jeepdave Me and the wife have an 9 year age difference. Just celebrated two years of marriage. So far so good.

That's fantastic, dude. Hope for us all!

Personally, I prefer men who are younger than me. The biggest age difference I have experienced was 16 years between us. I was the oldie. I just see men who are my age and they are so.. OLD. They are all serious and joyless. I'm not looking for a settling down partner. I love my life as it is - but it's nice to have someone to fool around with, catch a movie, laugh, make out etc and when I am in that mood I prefer younger guys.
Everyone always tells me that I look around 10 or so years younger than I am, and I act younger as well. I refuse to get old. As long as we are all above the age of consent, who cares how old we are. I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's my life and I love it this way

Me and my ex dated and maintained a awesome relationship for about a year and a half, my longest relationship. I was 19 when we first started dating. She was 33. And I was 21 when we broke up. Age wasn't much of a factor in our downfall. Maybe a little. Not because the whole "I'm too immature" thing. But rather she was often threatened by me being friends with girls my own age and kept telling me I was gonna find a hot young girl and leave her. Which never happened. And by the time i was ready to settle down and get married, she'd be too old or something. Personally it was my favorite relationship. I feel like every mature young man should have an older woman in his life for a little bit. She helped me and supported me in a very confusing part of my life. Gave me the confidence and assurance I needed to be a better person. Without her it would have been a very long and probably crappy process.

Age certainly was a number at that point. We were both in similar life positions when we fell in love. We were both working at an anarchist garden. She was squatting in a abandoned rowhome I helped fix up and make into a comfortable living space. We bonded over gardening, setting up punk shows and exploring the woods around us. If anything, the age made it more exciting. Like sort of a taboo for me. It was like having my first crush all over again.

But that's just my experience. Perhaps of she was an established adult at the time with her own legal residence and a 9-5 it probably wouldn't have evolved from anything more than just sex. But it worked for me.

Posted by FilthCity I was 19 when we first started dating. She was 33.

Lucky bastard. Lucky that i) you probably learned something about women from her, and didn't have to go through years of dating idiots your own age, and ii) she didn't eat you. Or maybe she did.

Posted by FilthCity I feel like every mature young man should have an older woman in his life for a little bit. She helped me and supported me in a very confusing part of my life. Gave me the confidence and assurance I needed to be a better person. Without her it would have been a very long and probably crappy process. Age certainly was a number at that point. We were both in similar life positions when we fell in love. We were both working at an anarchist garden. She was squatting in a abandoned rowhome I helped fix up and make into a comfortable living space. We bonded over gardening, setting up punk shows and exploring the woods around us. If anything, the age made it more exciting. Like sort of a taboo for me. It was like having my first crush all over again.

That's so cool, especially the garden part! Kinda what I've been after. Nice to hear it can come together, if even for just a while.

There is a 7 year age difference between me and my old lady. Hasn't ever been a negative factor at all.

I refuse to date anyone too far from my age. If you are several years my senior and in the same position in life as I am, that's depressing. I refuse to date anyone under 21, because I don't want to have to worry about where we can and can't go. Also if I date someone much younger than me, I feel like a giant creep.

I personally prefer women my age or older.But right now I'm talking to an 18 year old,and It's me,whatever.she doesn't seem to know what she wants-where as older women know exactly.but I've had both bad and good experiences with both.I do love older women though but not too much older(I'm almost 25,so maybe if she is around 31 or 33) or else I feel awkward,not as dominant,I'm not controlling i just like to be the protector and provider/supporter-as I'm sure most guys do.

I'm a friendly sort of person.

At the outset, I had no intention for my conversation with a considerably older woman to end up where it did. She just wanted to have someone to go out for dinner with, but it turned into FWB.

I learned via Facebook that she was in hospice and after she passed away, her Facebook page never got locked. The "Remembering" tag was never applied to her page.

Last week, I was in the area and went looking for the grave which you see below.