People Who Didn't Try Dating Until Later In Life Share How Their Lives Turned Out (30 Stories)

While dating itself is a somewhat modern invention, compared to the more traditional “courtship” and arranged marriages of old age, there is already a whole lot of research on its dynamics, including age ranges. For example, one study conducted in the 2010s, when online dating was just starting to become popular, found that people thirty and older tended to find most of their potential dates on the internet. 

The researcher, Michael Rosenfeld, made the argument that "Young people actually have a lot of access to people their own age. Once they are way past school, it's harder to find a partner.” “Late bloomers” often have to turn to the internet like any adult to find companionship, as there is simply less access to peers on the lookout for romance or friendship. After all, it’s easier to date in university compared to the workplace. 

The “king” when it comes to finding dates still remains friends, regardless of age category. Most people, from teens to pensioners still say that in most cases they are introduced to a date by a mutual friend. This makes a lot of sense, as this sort of meeting is less risky than an internet stranger since there is a third party that has “verified” that both people are “normal.”

Of course, as most people well into their thirties report, finding friends at this age is just as hard, which has the unfortunate side effect of cutting off this avenue of finding a date. The silver lining, as many of these posts note, is that at a certain age, a person has a better idea of who they are, and what they want and have in general more emotional maturity, all of which are deeply important to a successful relationship and a lot harder to fake. 

In other cases, the “late bloomers” are not novices to dating, but simply divorced later in life and are trying to “put themselves out there.” English journalist, broadcaster, and novelist suggested that people look through their contact list for old friends, flames, and acquaintances and give them a call or text, saying "I'd love to get back in contact," as a way to jumpstart the dating game. 

Of course, dating traditionally starts in the mid-teens, so a “late bloomer” can simply mean a twenty-five-year-old. Many report FOMO, a feeling of being the odd one out, until they find the right person. The important thing is to not give up and do not define yourself by what you don’t have. As these stories demonstrate, just being open to opportunities is often enough.