Dear Prudence,
My twin brother is 32 and ready to settle down. He’s intelligent, fit, good-looking, and has a promising career. The problem is that he keeps dating 18 to 21 year olds and gets hurt when things doesn’t work out. Most of the time they disappear him after one date. A few have let him know the age difference is intimidating. He asks me for advice from a girl’s perspective, and I try to be honest. The girls he goes for are just too young. It’s not that all 21-year-olds are immature, but it’s such a different life stage. Most do not have the life experiences we have had, like graduating college, working professionally, living independently, or paying their own bills. My brother wants to get married; his dates are more interested in figuring themselves out lives and establishing their futures. How can I convince my brother to look for someone his own age? He asks for my advice but doesn’t take it. Should I just butt out and console him next time it doesn’t work out? I just want him to be happy.
—Age Is More Than a Number