Wow you guys love to spar.
Good.
It is useful to look at the world in terms of statistical patterns, then to apply and filter and combine those observations to our own perspective and more importantly, our wants, needs, and goals.
I do this.
But what I have learned is to not be oppressed by an overlay of reality based on the statistical "norm". BS.
My gal bugged me for two weeks about my age and when I was ready I told her The conversation lasted maybe 30 seconds and then we moved on.
Her father is younger than me. She says he is jealous of me and she is going to introduce us. I look forward to it.
My sister's mother in law asked me about father/daughter relationship (good one) assuming that there's a dysfunction there and that MUST be the reason she is with me. Fine, let her have her pop-psych biases.
I've had it with other people's opinions. And yes it's true, even my gf wavers slightly now and then. And yes it's true, as long as I ultimately keep the ship on course she falls into place, on her knees, in adoration.
After all the filtering, comparing, statistical norming, and meditating is done, it all boils down to- who am I, what do I want, am I willing to go for it, am I prepared to persevere in the face of judgments and fear and doubt, including my own?
The answer for me is a resounding YES. The payoff has been incredible. I have a gorgeous woman wanting to be with me and others lined up just in case. No 2 needles me a lot; last time she said to me, you know a lot of guys are after me and none of them have gotten as far as you. Do they care about the 20-30 year age gap? What age gap? The less I care the more those conversations become footnotes, sort of like, What do you think about the age gap? My response, yeah you're way immature for me.
My point?
My point is not that guys should be emulating what I'm doing. I'm doing what I'm doing with the women I'm doing because that's me and that's what I want now. Find out what you want. Yes check to see what sort of resistance you're going to encounter, especially from yourself.
Then go out there like the caveman that you are and come back with fresh meat.