To be shocked that my good friend, 37, is seeing a 66 year old lady?

You know sex and the city isn’t real right? Right????

There is no such 'minimum', no such rule. That is made up by 12 year olds. A person can have chemistry with another person. It's not defined by age.

If they met on a dating site, wouldn't they have set their age parameters to at least include one another's age groups? Therefore it is deliberate, not a surprise to them. Unless one or both was pretending to be older or younger than they are. But we assume not. Sounds to be working for them? Are you worried he might miss a potential chance for having kids of his own? I would have a casual chat with him, as you are curious?

How would that effect relationships where the couple choose not to have children?

Just because you will not meet her doesn’t mean it’s a bit grotesque to be discussing her sex life.
I’ve never met you, shall I go on about how you sound a wee bit jealous of her?

I'm just outside of that then. I'm 48, DP is 30. Not going to kick him to the kerb though 😅

I swear some people think it's a law or something.
Once someone is of age, I don't give a shit if they have a 100 year age gap.

This is not that unusual but to be fair it can be very unnerving when it happens. DH & I both in our 60s & addmittedly well preserved were sitting quietly chatting in a bar on holiday. It was filled with all age groups again mostly on holiday. DH went to the bar so I read my messages. A really attractive well dressed guy in his 30s suddenly confronted me & said it's my stag do & I've to pick a gilf, can I kiss you 😧I politely declined & he walked away. Nothing in this respect surprises me now.

39 Celebrity Couples With Age Gaps So Big They’re Literally From Different Generations.
Dick Van Dyke (100) and Arlene Silver (54) have been married since 2012. They have a 46-year age gap.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurengarafano/famous-couple-age-gaps

I don’t personally have anything against it and wouldn’t be hoisting my judgy pants up if I know someone in rl who was dating someone that much older. I would be surprised like the OP if a good friend told me they were. I personally wouldn’t be interested in someone older than my parents and don’t know anyone in rl who is dating with that kind of age gap in that age bracket, so I don’t think the OP was wrong to be surprised. I think when men date women much younger than them many women think it’s a bit grim, although it does seem better the other way round, but that’s probably unfair. What’s good for one has to be good for the other! Normal for celebs, but I still don’t think it’s become the norm for “normal” people yet. I guess with people keeping in shape and focussing on health in their 60s and beyond, maybe it will!

Funny how no-one would bat an eyelid in the celebrity world. Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas - Despite an exactly 25-year age gap and navigating hurdles like cancer and a temporary separation, they have remained one of the industry's most enduring relationships.
Jeff Goldblum & Emilie Livingston 31 year age gap
Stephen Fry & Elliott Spencer 30 year age gap
Sarah Paulson & Holland Taylor 32 year age gap
Cher & Alexander "AE" Edwards 39 year age gap

I have you're having bone-shakingly ravishing sex!

I hope you're having a fabulous time!

SHUT UP ABOUT THAT STUPID "RULE" THAT'S NOT A RULE.

@darksideofthetoon I reckon your friend doesn’t exist and you’re the 66-year-old woman yourself, thinking about, or already dating a 37-year-old man, and putting the feelers out on MN to test how harshly you’ll be judged by people in your real life. Cos really, who cares that much about a friend’s relationship that they’d start a thread about it? There’s not a whole lot to say about it - yeah it’s unusual, shocking even, but if they’re both happy who cares. What else is there to discuss? If I’m right about this, I get why you wouldn’t be honest about your situation for fear of nasty comments, this is MN after all. But if you can ignore the haters you might get some good advice from other women who’ve dated younger men

30 years that should say

Oh so you know loads of men dating women 40 years older than them. Okay

🤣 🤣 🤣

20 year olds asking me out no, I cant say I’ve had that young but 23 year olds upwards then yes.. there just seems to be something about men once they leave university or get to around that age range where they have no issues asking older women out.

I’ve stated I personally would not date a 20 year old/nor want a 30 year age gap but that’s more to do with immaturity and me also feeling bad that when I do get to 80 the man being only 50 he’s got so much life ahead of him and he’s saddled with me, but if someone else wanted that for themselves then who am I to say it’s disgusting or it’s wrong. The man is 37 he is mature, has his ducks in a row, knows what he likes etc ( well I hope he does) you can’t compare that to an immature 20 year old who is probably still at college, living at home with parents playing on his PS5 daily and clueless about what he wants to do with his life.

We only have a limited time on this earth, some people don’t even make it beyond age 10, 20 or 40 so enjoy every bit of it, and people getting heated over a age gap of people aged 37 and 67 that doesn’t appear to be harming anyone is bizarre to me.

Glad you agree, why do relationships get put in boxes as far as age is concerned?
Hope you find a great younger man and you are as happy as I am with mine.( 5 years with our 23 year age gap and we are so happy) 😀

If the case is that the "overwhelming majority" find it odd that a man is a lot younger than the woman, if they are both happy and noone is getting hurt, abused or coerced the couple's happiness is what is important, not nosey judgemental outsiders
..Don't knock it till you try it!