To ask if most straight men are attracted much younger women?

I mean, why would that be odd.

It seems to me it would be much odder if they weren't. Why would a 25 year old man think women of 23 were the best looking, and somehow that should change as they age?

The point of sexual desire is to push people to make babies. The best people to make babies with, if you are a man, is a fairly young woman who is at peak fertility and probably quite healthy overall. Somewhat older young women might make better mums, but at the same time at least theoretically, men can father multiple children with differernt women in the same time frame. So there are lots of options open for reproductive strategies.

It's not quite the same for women. They invest a lot more in a pregnancy.

Just reading about a Hollywood star's child today that is a model. Aged around 16 or 17, and someone commented something along the lines of why is it acceptable to drool over teenage models but to universally detest Jeffrey Epstein?
Also, I understand that extremely popular porn searches are "teenage girls, schoolgirl, best friend's daughter" which is bloody sick!!

The problem with this is that most men don’t look like movie stars. Most men are not Brad Pitt or George Clooney. I see no evidence of men aging better than women in my social sphere. In my social circle, the women are slim, toned and take care of themselves. The men not so much.

The problem with this is that most men don’t look like movie stars. Most men are not Brad Pitt or George Clooney. I see no evidence of men aging better than women in my social sphere. In my social circle, the women are slim, toned and take care of themselves. The men not so much.

In terms of what is considered attractive I think men do have a longer shelf life. Just look at the stark contrast between adjectives that are used to describe older men vs women. Distinguished, suave, silver fox, mature, bachelor vs hag, crone, frump, mutton, granny, spinster.

Do you remember 'THE 100 Sexiest' Lists in magazines? Half the list would be men 40+ as voted for by women. The sexy women list would be full of women under 35 as voted for by men.

There is the famous saying in Hollywood about women not landing roles after 35!

I wouldn't know about the gay dating scene so I can't comment. But from dating online when I was single at 24 I put my preferred age range from 28 to 45. If I were to become single now at 34 I would put my age range at 38 - 50. If I were to become single at 50 I don't think I'd bother at all! But if I did, the range would be 50 - 60.

This is what I mean by the dating pool shrinking for women in particular, as the majority of women don't care to date much younger men whereas men often do.

I remember dating profiles of men in their 60s with minimum age requirements of 25! God loves a trier! 😑

Personally I think men prefer older women who have their shit together

Because man have choice and can see that impregnating a young girl is not in the girls best interest

Because it doesn’t fit the standard MN “all men are vile, disgusting creatures” argument. The fact it’s based on science is irrelevant to most people on here.

Why on earth would you assume an older man? I'm not even male, as it happens. I simply have a basic understanding of biology. It's simply a fact that evolution has selected for males, of any species, who prioritise fathering offspring. Clearly, the most effective strategy for doing so is to find a young, fertile mate. Therefore, evolution has hardwired males accordingly; males who didn't pursue this strategy died out. Therefore, men cannot choose to not find young, sexually mature females especially attractive, because the part of the brain that does the choosing is not subject to the conscious mind. Why on earth is this controversial?

OMG... absolutely this, with bells on.

Jimmy Carr is an odious, offensive (tax-dodging) bigot, and is about as funny as a burning orphanage.

Do men have a longer shelf life? Or is it that women tend to find older people more attractive than men do?

I mostly date women myself, and what I've noticed is that a lot of bisexual & lesbian women find older women very attractive. Not my thing personally, but it's definitely a pattern.

Whereas gay men often like younger looking men & can run into trouble when they chase youth via gym etc leading to eating disorders & other issues sometimes.

Luckily for men you mean. Because if they were only attracted to early 20s women most of them would have to be celibate once they hit 30.

That's put you off Jimmy Carr? A joke that's relatively tame by his standards? Riyadh comedy festival? Israel party? Taxes? But for you the final straw was this completely on brand joke? Was today the first time you heard of Jimmy Carr?

I'm not quite sure what you want. I'm guessing it is validation that your interest in young women as an older man is healthy and normal. There will be people who agree and people that don't.

But in terms of public opinion, it has become more taboo to fancy teenagers, and rightly so. Men and their sexual urges can obviously be problematic (to say the least) for women. Men are more likely to be paedophiles, there's global trafficking of young (poor) women and girls, rape and sexual violence is common, girls are married off to old men.. Younger women and girls are more vulnerable. In recent years, women have been speaking up about this problem with men and it has influenced public discourse. And I'm happy about that.

You can have whatever thoughts you want but it's better (and more beneficial for society) to protect young women and girls from people with these 'primal instincts'.

I know people will respond saying it's not children but adults in their late teens/early 20s they're talking (thinking) about but once there is a shift in acceptance and less stigma, the age will get lower and lower. Take racism for example. We added brexit/Farage/Trump to the mix and now it seems racism is becoming more accepted with things gradually getting more disturbing.

No doubt. But, around we go again. This instinct is wholesome, whereas the implication is that the male one regarding younger mates is a depravity; it’s no longer appropriate in today’s society, so men should turn it off now. Unfortunately, they can’t, just as a bee can’t stop its reward system lighting up when it sees a flower.

I know what you mean, re the comparison with women who flock around men with status and wealth.

But I think it's a bit different, as it sounds like most men (regardless of whether they are in a loving relationship) are still drawn to looking at/ fantasising about attractive women, maybe every day until the day they die! This is why women can feel insecure and/ or repulsed by it.

I can't speak for all women, but I am pretty sure that most of us don't glance at men in the street who seem to be wealthy/ high status and immediately start fantasising over him. I know there are some women who would only want a man for money, but honestly I don't think it's the majority. I don't think most of us would ever really think about it.

When I am in a relationship with a man I love I don't even think about other men, regardless of how much money or status the other men have! That's the difference.

As a woman, I don't think there's anything bad or shameful about feelings you can't help. Most people find others attractive apart from their spouse yo domestic degree...What matters is what you do, not involuntary thoughts..

I agree it's poor for women to flock to a man just because he's rich, especially if he has nothing else going for him..

Also agree that both sexes can override these instincts. On balance I would judge a man with a much younger girl (esp teenage) more harshly, because there seems to be more potential for exploitation there. Most worldly rich men (usually somewhat older) are less likely to be exploited. But neither us good.

I know on average male sex drive is a lot higher. But doesn't it lessen at all over life, esp 60+? I thought it tapers off somewhat in later middle age & definitely lessens in 70s...? Is it really super high 'till the end'?

Human brains are such that we don't act on primal instincts alone surely, otherwise no women would be in education as they would get pregnant very early in their life by random men. As we think there can also be an emotional connection, however minimal, to those we sleep with, that is likely to be with someone your own age.