Women are interested in who someone is, as well as what they look like.
Unless a woman gives a man a h*** on at 50 yrds, he views her as a waste of space in all respects, if he is honest with himself.
I dated a chap 20 years older than me – it was accepted by everyone.
I had a close but totally platonic relationship with a chap 9 years younger than me – my friendship was treated with great suspicion by people and often with hostility. Usually included with this attitude was the comment ‘you are too old for him to want’ even, presumably, as just a friend.
A male newly divorced neighbour told me with total seriousness that all of the guys in his support group wanted to find new partners, but all of them wanted women at least 5 years younger than their ex-wives. His own ex-wife had already been 5 years younger than him, so at 50 he was looking for someone younger than 40 and was not prepared to ‘compromise’ on any woman older.
Well, I wonder why most women end up with guys older than them? Could it be social attitudes? Could it be they often only get a chance to date at all if they agree to accept someone much older than they are themselves?