There are many views on the subject of the age difference in a relationship. A new study is now pretty much committed and claims: the younger you are, the better.
The age difference in relationships is always an issue. At the latest when a prominent couple attracts a lot of public interest – like Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz at the moment. The age difference between the model and the Tokio Hotel star is a whopping 17 years.
Kaulitz and she would not have wasted a single thought on their age difference. Klum says she just wants to have a happy life without worrying about what other people think: “Because worrying leads to more wrinkles.”
But is it really that simple?
Age difference: 3000 couples interviewed for study
A whole series of sayings and assumptions entwine around the eternal theme: “The heart wants what it wants”, “Age is only a number”, “Love knows no age”. But a recent US study at Emory University in Atlanta, found that the chance that couples who have an age difference of 20 years are actually around five percent lies.
More than 3,000 couples were interviewed for this study, which later found that age does seem to play a role when it comes to the length of a relationship. The risk of separation increases with the age difference. The probability of sharing your life with your partner to the end is therefore highest up to a difference of one year, namely 97 percent.
The advantages of the large age difference
Conversely, this of course does not mean that the relationships of those couples with the greater age difference are automatically doomed to failure. Previous studies have already shown that couples in these cases have less to contend with jealousy and trust each other more deeply. In addition, partners who are at different points in their life’s path can bring characteristics into their relationships that complement each other well with those of the partner – so both can learn from each other.
And so, the only thing left to say is that probably nobody who is serious about love chooses their partner according to age criteria. Whether the great love is three years younger or ten years older does not matter in the end. After all, even the most in-depth studies are, in the end, at best rules that are confirmed by exceptions. Because: the heart wants what it wants. You know.
What are the disadvantages of large age differences?
Problems arise in every relationship when ideas about the future differ. Or family planning has already been completed for one, while it has not even started for the other.
Not infrequently, an unfulfilled desire to have children can ultimately lead to a separation. Physical problems that affect activity or sexuality can also become an obstacle in the long term.
The older partner’s past is also a common theme in the relationship. Perhaps he already has children who cannot make friends with the new partner or are even of a similar age.
The subject of children is also often difficult in relationships between an older woman and a younger man. Older women often already have children. This might also be the reason for not being open for relationships. It is also due to the changes in physical development.
Basically, however, studies show that couples with a large age difference in the relationship are more satisfied. You have to deal with issues like jealousy less and trust yourself more quickly. In addition, due to their age, they can learn a lot from each other and often bring along qualities that benefit the other partner.
Hence, there are a multitude of famous people who show us that age differences do not have to be an obstacle.
Celebrities who show us how
Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively are 11 years apart. They met on the set of Green Lantern and have since had three children. George Clooney is 17 years older than his wife Amal. They are together since 2014.
On the other hand, only men are not always older. Simone Thomalla is in a relationship with the 19 years younger handball goalkeeper Silvio Heinevetter. Leonardo DiCaprio is 23 years apart from his wife Camila Morrone. Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver are 46 years apart. They clearly show us that love doesn’t know any age differences.
Big age difference = big problems?
There is no guarantee of love, so it doesn’t matter how big the age difference is in a relationship. Every relationship has risks and opportunities. It needs a healthy basis of trust and understanding for one another. Those who accept themselves and allow themselves enough freedom can lead a happy and fulfilling relationship regardless of the large age difference.
Still, you should make sure that you don’t feel inferior to your older partner . If so, check out our article on toxic relationships .
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