Will Age Difference Affect Your Relationship?
I was skimming through Cosmopolitan online the other day and stumbled upon a very interesting article about the ideal age difference in a relationship. Based on a study done by Emory University, the article states that a one year age difference is ideal with only a 3 percent chance of divorce. Overall, the study found that the greater the age gap, the greater the chance that the relationship will end in a divorce or breakup. So what does this mean for dating people our age, younger or older?
The truth is this study is a pattern, but not reality. When you date someone older or younger than yourself, you might run into conflicting goals because you are in different stages in your life. But like any relationship issue, you can overcome it if you try. There are much bigger things that should be consider red flags in a relationship. Don’t let age be a deal breaker. Love is blind to age if it is real.
Here are a few things that can cause real conflict in your relationship, regardless of the age difference:
Aggression
If your partner is overly aggressive, that is a major red flag. It is one thing to be aggressive when it comes to competition, but another thing to express too much aggression towards your significant other over the littlest things. Too much aggression in a relationship can lead to mental abuse, and even worse, physical abuse if things get out of hand. If you throw a temper tantrum every now and then that is one thing to get over. But if you or your partner has anger issues, you need to watch that things don’t get out of hand. If they do, you might need to get out of that relationship before things get worse.
Stubbornness
Relationships should be an equal give and take. I’m not saying tit for tat, but the amount of effort itself should be reciprocated. This means each person in the relationship should be open to growth. But if one party is stubborn to change, this can lead to trouble in paradise. You don’t want your relationship to be one-sided because that gets old very quickly. If you are not willing to grow and positively change in your relationship, you should probably evaluate how much you like your significant other and decide if you are in the right relationship. And if it is the other way around, it might be time to address any issues you might have with your partner never being able to give in. If nothing changes find someone new who will grow with you.
Control
In a relationship, it feels great to be desired. Having someone care about you everyday is an amazing feeling, but it is an entirely different thing if that person wants to control what you do everyday. Even while in a relationship, you are entitled to your own freedom and individuality. It is one thing to let your partner order your food for you on a date and another to let them control your life. When control crosses the line from cute to possessive, that is a major red flag.
There are so many red flags to look for in a relationship, but age should not be one of them. Age itself is just a number. This is not to say an age difference doesn’t come with its own challenges, but you and your partner can overcome them if you try. Relationships are not easy, but if both people put in an effort anything is possible. Just watch out for the red flags and get out of a relationship if you feel you aren’t growing positively in it together.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Christina aspires to be a public relations professional in a big city after graduation from James Madison University. In her free time when she’s not blogging away about dating and relationships, Christina loves to go shopping, watch Netflix and play with every puppy that crosses her path.