Why Would A Young Woman Be Attracted To An Older Man?
Question submitted February 3, 2001: I wanted to know what could be the reason why a 21 year old woman would be attracted to a 40 year old man? This same person also has problems with intimacy and is afraid of serious relationships. She also is a strongly independent person. What sort of issues might this person need to address? CyberShrink’s answer posed 2-3-01: Given the limited information in your question, it should be understood that our comments are general, speculative, and may not apply to the particular person you have in mind. We do not base our comments on the assumption that there is something amiss in a relationship where there is a large age discrepancy. Such unusual relationships make others feel anxious or uncomfortable. Almost all relationships that vary significantly from culturally defined expectations or social standards meet with a great deal of disapproval. In some situations, disapproval is the essential “glue” in relationships. You describe the young woman with
