this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
67 points (91.4% liked)

No Stupid Questions

39081 readers
1389 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here. This includes using AI responses and summaries.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

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?

all 45 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

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.

[–] agamemnonymous 29 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 hours ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 76 points 1 day ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

You’re developing romantic attraction. It’s different from sexual attraction, but usually people think of them as one and the same.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 hours ago

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

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 26 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] ArbitraryValue -1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 12 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

All the aspects of romantic attraction that aren’t physical?

[–] ArbitraryValue 3 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (2 children)

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?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 hours ago

Yes. These two are different things. Most people experience both, some only one of the two, and Jaiden experienced none of that.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 10 points 20 hours ago

Fewer physical and more emotional.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 17 hours ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 23 hours ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago

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

[–] [email protected] 9 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) (1 children)

Your body is 40. You're still 12.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 20 hours ago

I'm sure that holds up well in court

[–] [email protected] 12 points 23 hours ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago

Dunno, I find myself being less and less attracted to anybody more than 5-6 years younger than me.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As others have alluded to, your question requires a distinction: are you talking about wanting to date or wanting to fuck?

Romantic attraction is based on the full package. Yes, their appearance matters, but so does their personality, their hobbies and interests, their emotional maturity, their ability to hold a conversation, their experiences and worldview, etc.

Sexiness is just about physical appearance. How their body looks, facial structure, the way they do their hair, their posture and confidence, their clothes, etc.

I'm a dude, just north of 40. I think peak physical attraction is a woman who's 18-25, brunette, slim and toned, small to medium breasts, I'm not much of an ass man, etc.

But, I'm a middle aged dude. Would I want to date most women that age? Hellllllll no. My gf is 5 years younger than me and even that small of a gap has shown some differences in things like pop culture references and lived experiences. I can't imagine easily connecting with someone that young.

[–] ArbitraryValue 0 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

I don't see how I could have a romantic relationship with someone I didn't want to have sex with. The man I mentioned who is no longer attracted to women his age does have a woman his age in his life who was his girlfriend when they met 25 years ago and the two of them still enjoy spending time together, but they no longer have a physical relationship although he does still have a sex drive. He's sad about this but accepts it as the way things are for older people. I don't know how she feels.

I can understand how you don't want to date someone a lot younger than you, although I don't have any personal experience with that - I've never had a partner more than a couple of years younger than I am. However, I'm a man who has had little in common with most of the women I've dated, simply because I have little in common with most women. (My hobbies might be crudely called "autistic".) Thus, for me dating has involved finding women I get along with surprisingly well despite having so little in common.

Maybe I also wouldn't enjoy the company of someone a lot younger than me, but the main problems I foresee are that (1) no one like that would want to date me and (2) even if I found someone like that who wanted to date me now then I doubt she would still want to date me when I was old as opposed to just middle-aged.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Aw dude, no, flip it around: I can't imagine having a sexual relationship with someone I'm not romantically entwined with. Real intimacy is about so much more than sex -- sex is part of it, but it's also about trust and openness and what you've lived through together... It's a whole package and you're focusing on one small aspect & not even looking at the rest.

I've been married 13 years. We're aging. I birthed three kids and my stomach looks bizarre now. We've got grey hair, we've both had a variety of body shapes and sizes over the years... our love has only grown and the sex has never been better. Don't take your friend's anecdote as something that happens to everyone. It doesn't. (You should talk to someone who works in a senior's home sometime; people our grandparents' age are still sexually active despite being pretty far from the bloom of youth!)

I agree with a lot of the other commenters that people in their 20s are nice to look and and can be fun to talk to but also seem like children to me at this point. I couldn't even imagine pursuing someone so much younger than me; mentally and in terms of experience we're way too far apart.

Ps. Don't look at who you're most physically attracted to & assume everyone feels the same way. I've always thought that men hit their peak around age 55.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago

You have to stop and think about what is really sexy.

Is it sexy when someone pretends to be into you? Most people would agree not.

A person 20 years younger than you, are they really attracted to you? Do they really know you? Do they really want to be with YOU?

Once sex becomes about the intimate connection and not just the physical bumpin uglies, it changes.

That said, looking at porn and fantasizing you can pretend to be any age you want. Thus, you may find yourself thinking you are not attracted to people your own age if you are only looking at porn of the "hottest" people.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

What I find attractive has generally increased as I've gotten older. Now that I'm a dad I'm my 30's moms in their 30's are way more attractive to me than when I was a teen. I live in a college town, and sure the college girls are really pretty. Buts it's different now that I'm older. I don't really want to be involved romantically with them anymore. They feel too much like kids. Still pretty, but not for me.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I think you are generally attracted to people around your age but it changes. When you are a kid, girls your age are attractive, but so are older girls. As you get older, older women become more attractive, but younger women don't stop being attractive.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I'm 40, and I'm really only attracted to people my age, maybe late 30s, but much younger than that and I'm really not into it. This has been pretty consistent my whole life, of course I had crushes in school, but after being a teen probably around 22+ I Really wasn't interested in teens. But 30 I was not interested in 20s. If I had to find someone, which I'm really not anticipating, I wouldn't bother dating someone younger than 35-38 through whatever 45-50 range.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I can recount from my personal experience that i've been attracted to teens when i was younger. Now that i'm 25, not so much anymore. I still see the appeal, but it gets less interesting to me as i'm not looking for that kind of relationship anymore. I'm looking for a more "reliable" partner.

Oh and also in the past i could never imagine staying with one person only. Now, i can.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

The question was “Are OLD people usually attracted to other old people?” You are 25 what do you know about being old? There’s a colossal difference between 18 and 25. There’s much less of a difference between 50 and 43. Your personal experience isn’t really applicable here because of that stark difference.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

well am i old if i feel old enough?

isn't oldness relative?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 20 hours ago

You are right. It is relative. I'm twice your age. 25 is so young to me. I didn't even really start having fun with adulthood until about 30. And I got into some shenanigans as a teen and twenty-something. Maybe that was more to do with leveling up the career until I had disposable income. Anyway, you may find yourself looking back on 25 and view it differently than you do now.

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

No, you’re twenty five. You are a young adult.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

let's settle on "i'm an adult"

[–] RowRowRowYourBot 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

You still aren’t “old”. Don’t be in a rush to age

[–] [email protected] 1 points 20 hours ago

i'm not in a rush, j'm just stating facts

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Hard to tell what is 'normal'. Humans can be extremely diverse in their preferences and views.

I am about the same age as you. 20 to 30 year olds are most attractive to me in general too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Xaviera Hollander said it best.

"A man isn't old until there are no women his own age who excite him. A woman is old the first time she looks for clothes that make her look younger."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xaviera_Hollander

[–] Grass 2 points 1 day ago

at least you aren't 60 and only find people under 15 attractive

[–] lurch -5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, it just becomes a more suitable option. It's important for the survival of a species to mate as soon as ready, so there is some natural attraction towards that age. There are often outliers, of course. They are natures way of probing for better ages.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

to mate as soon as ready, so there is some natural attraction towards that age.

Are you sure?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It sounds more like a death sentence than a survival mechanism in this economy.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 22 hours ago

Evolution didn't plan on an economy even existing