They’re Older, But That Doesn’t Mean They’re Wiser

Barbara from York, South Carolina asks:

I am an older reader on this site, and have been involved with a man who is the biggest test of my integrity ever in my life. I would like to know your take on why men in their late 50s and early 60s, most of whom have been married at least once, tend to be game players. You would think by this stage in life that they would know what respect is for someone who has an attraction for them. A lot of these men are on online dating sites, writing very detailed descriptions of what they seek in a partner, and when they find one that fits all the things they say they desire, they push the woman’s self-esteem to the breaking point, make false accustions (which by the way are descriptions of their own problems), and then tell the woman she doesn’t trust a relationship. It’s very hard to build trust when the foundation is so flawed. I would be most interested in your idea of why men this age are wasting the last best years they have on such nonsensical behavior.

Liam’s Response:

Greetings, Barbara. I’m certain your experience is shared by many and, hopefully, I can put the issue into perspective. I warn you, a lot of my explanation will not be terribly palatable. Still I sense that you are tougher than most and I believe you will be able to take my observations on the matter and apply them in a fashion that will be advantageous. Just remember, it doesn’t do any good to become wrathful or despondent over the dictates of nature. What I’m about to discuss has nothing to do with what is fair or right or just. As Sergeant Barnes in the great cinema classic Platoon so wisely observed, “There’s the way it ought to be… and there’s the way it is.” Read the rest of this entry »