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I think it's just a number... however, it does depend if it's legal or not. A 12 year old dating a 20 year old? I don't think so. That's completely different and completely illegal. Age is just a number when you're over the age of 18 and older, because that's when you're legally an adult.

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Age is... how old you are?

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I don't particularly care as long as both sides are happy. It's not illegal for anyone to date anyone, just illegal when it comes to sexual activity. If they can keep their hands out of each others pants, whatevs to me. Not my life. If they're happy, good for them.

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Raven Winter
Age is... how old you are?

19. I'm about to turn 20 next week. :l

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inviso87
I don't particularly care as long as both sides are happy. It's not illegal for anyone to date anyone, just illegal when it comes to sexual activity. If they can keep their hands out of each others pants, whatevs to me. Not my life. If they're happy, good for them.

I respect that. smile

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The College Student
Raven Winter
Age is... how old you are?

19. I'm about to turn 20 next week. :l

No, I mean that's what age is. It's nothing more nor less than a measure of the time you've lived since birth. It's not "just a number" insofar as it is not arbitrary and is generally considered to hold some value; however, most of the time it's not especially relevant to daily life and, outside specific activities, need not be considered.

Of course, I get the sense that while I took this in a very general way, you meant to narrow it specifically to the realm of with whom you may and may not copulate.

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It really has to do with lifestyle compatibility. A 40 year old who's established in their career dating a 20 year old student working part time... Well, let's just say they probably aren't in it for the long haul.

And if you're going to do that, be prepared for people asking if you're related or giving odd looks.

I personally won't date a highschool guy, even though there's only 5 years difference, and I won't date 10 years older because I'm attracted to guys my own age.

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Raven Winter
The College Student
Raven Winter
Age is... how old you are?

19. I'm about to turn 20 next week. :l

No, I mean that's what age is. It's nothing more nor less than a measure of the time you've lived since birth. It's not "just a number" insofar as it is not arbitrary and is generally considered to hold some value; however, most of the time it's not especially relevant to daily life and, outside specific activities, need not be considered.

Of course, I get the sense that while I took this in a very general way, you meant to narrow it specifically to the realm of with whom you may and may not copulate.

Wow. I read that wrong. emotion_facepalm

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GoddessDivine
It really has to do with lifestyle compatibility. A 40 year old who's established in their career dating a 20 year old student working part time... Well, let's just say they probably aren't in it for the long haul.

And if you're going to do that, be prepared for people asking if you're related or giving odd looks.

I personally won't date a highschool guy, even though there's only 5 years difference, and I won't date 10 years older because I'm attracted to guys my own age.

So you are 23?

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The College Student
GoddessDivine
It really has to do with lifestyle compatibility. A 40 year old who's established in their career dating a 20 year old student working part time... Well, let's just say they probably aren't in it for the long haul.

And if you're going to do that, be prepared for people asking if you're related or giving odd looks.

I personally won't date a highschool guy, even though there's only 5 years difference, and I won't date 10 years older because I'm attracted to guys my own age.

So you are 23?
Mhm, and I've already graduated with my degree in Office Administration and have been working full time for a year, so dating college students can be difficult.

I try to stay in the range of other graduates when I'm dating, even though that means usually dating up or older.

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Dippoldism
I completely disagree with the "age is just a number" sentiment.
Every age brings new developments. We change as we age.
Age, to me, isn't just how old we are; it's how far we've come and what we've gone through.
TBH I think people who "don't care" about age are trying way too hard to please everyone.
Yes! Thank you. Life experiences matter!

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The College Student
I think it's just a number... however, it does depend if it's legal or not. A 12 year old dating a 20 year old? I don't think so. That's completely different and completely illegal. Age is just a number when you're over the age of 18 and older, because that's when you're legally an adult.


So age is not just a number until a person turns 18 at which case age magically becomes just a number?

So what if in another country adulthood is at age 16 or 14?

And what if two people who are 16 and 14 frequently travel between these 3 countries? That would mean that sometimes their age is just a number, and sometimes it isn't.

Furthermore the key thing to notice here is that if you're basing your claim off of laws in a specific country, that means you determine whether age is "just a number" or not depending on the geographic area in which a person is located in. Meaning the actual characteristics of the person no longer are a relevant variable in determining whether they are an adult.

Point being I don't think your opinion is even coherent, because it is not even about analyzing the actual characteristics of the individual person and comparing them to some abstract criteria of what you think an adult is. Rather you are just accepting some arbitrary law that changes depending on which location the person finds them in therefore the entire concept of "adult" becomes nothing about the who the person is but rather it's all about where the person is.

Also "age is just a number" no it isn't, age is not just integer that we assign to people that is abstract/arbitrary. Age correlates very highly with real empirical traits people have that we can measure. Age isn't just a number at all, it's actually a symbolic representation of concrete and real non arbitrary things about a person.

And this fact does not magically disappear once you become a legal adult, age is still more than a number even when you are an adult.

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madatthebullys
Well, it isnt a good indicator of intelligence or maturity if that is what your asking.
As a general rule of thumb it works pretty well that a 20 year old isn't going to have the wisdom or maturity of a 50 year old. Of course there are exceptions, but that's why I said general rule.
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