On several occasions I have heard women say that "the sexiest thing about a man is his mind". If in fact that is the case, wouldn't it be possible that a young woman does feel attracted to an older man?
Yes, I do think it's possible. You're right, I was over-generalizing. People are infinitely variable in what makes them tick. I guess it depends on how important a certain level of physical attractiveness is to them, and some older men seem to withstand the ravages of time better than others. Still, after a certain point the body goes, even if you are thin and exercise; there may be muscle, but the skin overlaying it is more slack. There might be other psychological things going on as well that go into people's choices.
You know, maybe Oona O'Neill and Charlie Chaplin are a good example, although he was certainly famous and wealthy. She seems to have genuinely loved him, although I think that given that her father was no father at all in any real way, maybe that's what she was seeking. They had a lot of children too, and I don't remember reading that there were problems, so perhaps they beat the odds as well.
The same thing applies to young man much older woman, by the way, even if it is no where near as common. I mean, I certainly know why she's attracted to him, but why is he sexually attracted to her? Of course, these women can be way past childbearing so it wouldn't influence the topic under discussion.
The Duchess of Alba of Spain...there still has to be 30 or more years between them. (Memo to self: never get plastic surgery or botox)
That isn't to say that there aren't boys or men who are attracted to older women. I don't think it's all that uncommon for teen-age boys to lust after some of the mothers of their friends; it depends on the women, of course. Then, in Europe if not in America, a relationship with an older woman can be part of a man's sexual development. We're not talking about huge age gaps, of course, and they're not long lasting.
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