Having a successful relationship doesn’t require being the same age. May December relationships have many advantages. If it’s love, it’s love.
Typically, when someone talks about May December relationships, there
is an assumption that it is an older man with a younger women. Over the
past decade, however, things have begun to even out. More younger men
are seeking out women who are older for various reasons.
Movies like The Graduate presented a boy coming of age who
is seduced by an older married woman. Once called a “cougar,” older
women and young men are finding that May December relationships aren’t
just sexual, but can make for a real, lasting, and blissful union.
The popularity of the May December relationship continues to increase
and become more socially acceptable regardless of who is older and who
is younger.
10 major advantages to May December relationships
A relationship depends on more than just age. Undoubtedly, someone
your own age may have a similar perspective on pop culture, but that by
no means signals that they are a good fit. The success of any
partnership depends on the emotional maturity of both members. And, when
it comes down to it, age is rarely a good gauge of the maturity of an
individual.
There are many advantages to May December relationships regardless of
whether it is an older man with a younger woman, or older woman with a
younger man.
#1 Less drama. When you start out together coming
from the same life circumstances, you go through the same life stages
together. Almost like heading out on the great unknown without any way
to know how to steer the ship, the stress of trying to mature together
can sometimes be too much and take distraction from the relationship
itself.
But in May December relationships, one of the individuals has the
advantage of going through the hardships of growing up and has the
perspective that the other might need help navigating.
Having someone who has already been through the difficulties of
struggling in life can be a great comfort and provide emotional support
that you just can’t get when you are both facing the same life struggles
simultaneously.
#2 Less self-absorption. When you date any older
person, they are less likely to base everything on looks. As you get
older, you realize that there is more to a person than the way that they
appear on the outside.
You know that it love is about what people possess on the inside too.
When you date an older person, they are less apt to worry so much about
the superficial things in life and to cherish the inner you, not just
the way you present to the outside world.
#3 Done messing around. Someone who is established
in life is less likely to date around and want something that is more
stable. Not willing to waste their time on someone they don’t find
intriguing and worth it, they aren’t going to play games or hard to get.
If they show interest, they probably have the maturity to be real,
honest, and to take a chance. In May December relationships, both
parties will likely be looking for someone to share their time with and
know that time is not endless.
#4 More comfortable with themselves and know who they are.
There is something awesome about dating someone who has already gone
through the crisis of figuring out who they are and what they want.
Your twenties are a time of turmoil trying to decide who you are,
what you want, and who you want to be. When you date someone older, they
already know who they are, have accepted those things about themselves
that may not be the best, and aren’t insecure about them.
When someone is comfortable in their own skin, it is much more
comfortable to be around them. Dating someone who isn’t trying to be who
they aren’t, or trying to figure out who they are, is a huge advantage
of May December relationships.
#5 Money isn’t an issue. One of the hardest factors
in any relationship is money issues. If you date someone who is older,
they are likely to be monetarily established and have more disposable
income so that you aren’t constantly quarreling about who pays for what,
or worrying about your last dime.
When you take the stress of money out of a relationship, you will be
surprised at how easy it is to get along with someone. Money can turn
even the best relationship sour. When it isn’t a factor, it is one more
reason that a partnership can flourish.
#6 You don’t have to worry about what they will look like.
Have you ever dated someone hot and wondered what they would look like
in a decade? It is hard to tell if someone is going to take care of
themselves, age well, or even have their hair in ten years.
When you date someone older, you don’t have to worry about how they
will look when they get older… you already know. If the person you are
with is already ten years older than you, and looks better than half the
other people your age, then you don’t have to worry that in five years
you will be looking at a bald man with a beer gut. Or, a girl with
twenty pounds more in sweatpants sitting on your couch beside you.
#7 Sometimes people are old souls. There are just
certain people that you get along with more than others. Not an age
thing, dating someone older doesn’t have to be an issue if you “get” one
another.
Sure, there might be subtle differences like knowing the same bands,
but that also can be the fun of May December relationships. You can both
bring your own world into the relationship for variety. If you both
have an open mind, there is never any boredom or lack of new adventure
to be had.
#8 The financial means for fun. When you are in a
relationship with someone younger, it is hard to travel the world and
take time from work simultaneously to do the things you want to do
together.
When you date someone who isn’t beholden to the nine to five and has
the financial means to do things when they want like traveling on a
whim, or just doing things that you otherwise wouldn’t have the option,
life is one big exciting journey to behold.
Being able to experience things when you’re younger is an amazing
advantage to a May December romance. Instead of waiting to retire to do
the things you want, you can do them all while you are still young
enough to enjoy them.
#9 It can keep you young. When you date someone who
is younger, they can help to rewind the clock and bring you back to a
time in life when things were less responsible, and you were more
willing to take chances.
Dating someone younger can help you find the inner child that has
long since put their toys away. Like a new lease on life, dating a
younger man or woman who adores you can breathe new life into yours.
#10 Less jealousy. People who are less emotionally
mature are usually more jealous than those who are more secure and
established. If you are tired of the guys or girls your age acting out
of jealousy, being controlling, or stopping you from being you and doing
what you want to do, one of the advantages of a May December
relationship is that there usually is not a whole lot of jealousy
involved.
An older man or woman is more likely to give you space to breathe, to
live your own life, and not to try to control what you do and who you
are.
Everyone matures at a different rate, and typically, it has very
little to do with age. There are many times when two people are meant
for each other even if they don’t share the same generation. If you are
considering dating someone who is older than you, there are a lot of
advantages. Stop worrying about what others will think and do what makes
you happy.
In the end, age is just a number, and unless you allow it to define
you, there is no reason why you can’t date someone who is five, ten, or
even twenty years older.
As you can see, May December relationships can be amazing. If
you were meant to be, they make you happy, and you just get each other,
then go with it and stop thinking too much about candles on a birthday
cake.
