My ex and I broke up about 7 months ago - the relationship wasn't working, we weren't happy, we were incompatible in some deep and important ways. I'm now 32 and feel ready to try dating again. I started reading this reddit hoping I would feel inspired, but when I read posts here I have been feeling even more worried and concerned.
Is dating really that bad at this age? I'm not 25 anymore but I'm not ugly. I'm reasonably attractive (even though I'm not attractive as I was when I was younger I guess), kind and smart and loyal. I have close relationships with my family and friends. I have hobbies and interests I love. But I still want to have a partner and I hadn't given up hope of having kids. But the posts here make me feel worse about myself. There was a 34 year old woman saying that she feels bad that any man who meets here won't have known the more beautiful younger version of herself and that men our age want mid-20s women. Other posts say similar things about aging out and feeling invisible and how dating is impossible at this age.
I just feel defeated and honestly worry that I should have tried to force that relationship to work. That all the good men are gone. That men will just want women much younger than me. That I'm not attractive enough for men to want me at this age. While men aren't everything, I do want a partner so do care about attracting men who are compatible with me and I'm so in my head about this now.
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