Different ages friendship
By missak
@missak (3311)
Spain
July 13, 2008 10:09pm CST
Do you think people with different ages can be actually friends? I don't mean a year or two, but a different generation, for exaple about 10 years... people from different generations tend to have different ways of thinking and different targets in life... can we share a deep friendship in that context? what do you think?
9 people like this
53 responses
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
14 Jul 08
LOL! It's kind of sad that you'd have to think twice about what another person would think of your friendship. I'm pretty amazed at the friendships that people have, some of them are so enduring, and some friends are closer than family =) Friends are one of the most valuable resources we have.
1 person likes this
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
14 Jul 08
My closest friend is 18 years older than me. I have another friend who is 33 years older. Age is just a number. 10 years doesn't make much of a difference unless you are talking about nostalgia and things that you did in the 60's.
1 person likes this
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
15 Jul 08
I don't know about young topics. I'm not so young anymore. I'm middle aged and most of my friends are much older.
@egfitz62150 (645)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Oh, definately! It depends on how open both parties are, but the human condition is universal and gives us all common ground to build friendships on. There may always be a certain amount of difference in approach to things, but if both people are non-judgemental enough, that shouldn'tbe too much of a hurdle.
Sorry I haven't been contributing much lately. My husband has retired and I just don't have the time for mylot that I used to. Good to see you're still active though!
1 person likes this
@lynn2457 (500)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Hi missak,
Yes, I know for fact, that you can have friends of any age. I am 50 years old and proud of it, and have found, I have friends from the age of 13 to 43. One of my best friend is age 28, and I have 2 young pen pals friends 13, and 14, and then many in the 20's, a few in the 30's, for some reason I have friends of all ages. and it is great. for I get to keep up with the times. I love people and I love kids. Being I am not able to have any maybe this is why God has given me such a range in friends. It is awesome, I also have friends in my age range and older than I. I think anything is possible, if you allow it, and your mind is not too old.
1 person likes this
@missak (3311)
• Spain
15 Jul 08
This is a beautiful answer... it makes me think on another point: I am 23 years old, and I do tend to prefer older friends. I saw here that many other people around 20 makes good friends with people around 50, some of them say they preffer older people for friendship. And also many people around 50 talk about their good younger friends. Are all this facts related? do older people tend to prefer youger people for friendship? is that like a counterpart?
@lynn2457 (500)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Hi missak,
thank you, I think the older we get, not all but most in general, slows down, and younger people, even my self, wanted advice, and when you can find a person you can trust, and feel comfortable with, then it is easy to listen to them. There are many who are out to party and have fun 'with out so call parties' and then there are some who, just try to do what they can, even the partier's want advice, and since older people have been there done that, maybe that is helpful. Even if you don't follow their suggestions, you heard it. Many will find others besides siblings and parents, and listen to them instead, and then there are those who will listen to parents and siblings. Does this make sense? is it like a counterpart, I am not sure, but I feel it is part of the way the world goes round. We are all ways looking for someone either for a role model or friend that is safe. and that ends up being usually not all ways an older person than oneself. This I found was true in my case. Hope this helped and again thank you. I am only going by my experience in life. have a great one
@msedge (4011)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I have few friends who are 10 year or more older than me.They are very good and nice to me.They understand me and give advises what to do.I feel like i am having my mom back again in life.I don'tthink age matters when it comes to friendship.For me i prefer older ones.
1 person likes this
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
8 Oct 08
Yes, one can be friends with different ages. I have really close friends 15 years older than me. Some of them my co-workers and even if we're not working together anymore we became closer friends. Then I noticed that I have also close friends younger than me more than 10 years age gap. At first I don't want to be close to them but they really wanted to hang out with me. I have noticed that I have more close friends who are older and younger than me. Friends my age group are few and most are busy with their own lives.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14403)
• United States
24 Jul 08
People of different ages can certainly be friends. It just depends on the people.
@sororravn (448)
• United States
7 Aug 08
I think that it is definitely possible. One of my closest friends is about seven years younger than I am and still lives at home with his parents. I think that it really depends on who you get along with and what interests you have in common. The main thing that brings he and I together is our love of technology. We are both interested in new technology, the latest gadgets coming out and also share a love of video games. We are usually introducing each other to the latest new thing to come out as well as sharing an appreciation for just getting out there and enjoying life. We are at two very different stages of life as I have two children that are almost half his age and he is still in college and living with his parents. I honestly think that any friendship can work as long as you share common interests and have enough differences to keep each other interested.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58676)
• Delhi, India
7 Aug 08
I think that friendship occur, age does not matter. It is our level of understanding with our friends which is more important. Interestingly, I have many friends here who are quite older to me and I do not feel any problem dealing with them, in fact I love to learn from their experiences. Likewise, there are some members here who are junior to me in age, I also love interacting with them and I always share my experiences with them, so as to guide and suggest them good things in life. And friends who are of similar age are equally good. One can relate to them rather easily and can build up a good relationship.
1 person likes this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
3 Sep 08
I think it depends on the person in question. I have a girlfriend that is 15 years older than me and we are really good friends and have lots in common. But then she doesn't act her age and likes to have a lot of fun so she does crazy things. I love being with her as she is a lot of fun. And then I have a friend that is 20 years younger than me and she is a lot of fun too. I am 51 years old and I have been told I don't look my age or act my age so I think it depends on the person. I think I can act more mature with older people and I can act more unmature with younger people. My daughter is 25 years old and her friends love for me to come to the bar with them because they say I am the life of the party. They say I am a lot of fun and so when they ask my daughter to go out, they also include me in their invitation. But since my daughter doesn't always want me along, I only go once in awhile, when she says it's okay with her. I don't want to rain on her parade so I always ask her first before I go along.
So, I think it depends on the people involved.
1 person likes this
@successlog (3172)
• China
14 Jul 08
Hello friend, this is a funny question.I think it is most possible if they are really tacit with each other on one point.Around my surroundings,this thing happened some times.it is possible they all like playing chinese chess or looking at same type of book, or have same opinion on some political problem.in any way, I believe this friendship can happen at big different ages as long as they have common ideas.lol
Good luck to you.thanks
@insulin (2479)
• Philippines
28 Sep 08
Well there is a big gap but yeah it is impossible,I grow up a kid alone because brothers and sister got long gap to my age about 13 years to the eldest and 10 years to the second youngest.
It is sometimes actually difficult but what happen is that,your thingking get matured easily when you are expose to the old ones and thats what I am now and there is nothing wrong about it,It is actually advantage for you as long everything you are doing is in limits.:-0 God bless and have a nice day.:-0
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
16 Jul 08
In a word, yes. All you have to do is find something you have in common like a hobby.For example, pilots of different eras could and I assume are great friends. They have something in common and they could build on that.
1 person likes this
@kriszelunka (557)
• Australia
24 Jul 08
I do believe that people from vastly different generations can be friends. I am 27, but am close friends with two women, one who is 55, and the other is 63. Having friends from different generations is a great way to get different perspectives on the world and issues.
I find their views extremely interesting, and their advice is usually very sound, as they have had more life experience than many of my other friends.
1 person likes this
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
16 Jul 08
yeah. because most people dont look their age anyway...so they tend to hang out with people they look like, which tends to be of another age. they relate better.
1 person likes this
@sdmoonchild (731)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I have a few older friends. I think it is possible and you learn so much from someone who is older. My good friends back in Minnesota were an elderly couple that I used to see on a daily basis-we were neighbors but it felt like an extended family. It was great.Age shouldn't matter, its how well you get along with people and communication that is important
1 person likes this
@prncesfrmheaven (452)
• United States
15 Jul 08
I defintely think that age isn't a factor for friendships. I have 2 best friends one is 43 years old and the other one is 25 years old. I am 34. So I have both extremes. I think we are all kids at heart and we also have that mature side so having friends in both groups allows a person to do either extreme.
1 person likes this
@Adeliza1220 (877)
• United States
15 Jul 08
Yes i strongly believe that one can hold a great relationship with someone from a different generation. I have always had friends ranging from all sorts of ages and have had a great experience. I used to do volunteer work when i was about 16 years old and on Martin Luther King day we were assigned one Vietnam Veteren to spend the day with, it was an outstanding experience because that is where i met Michael 50 yrs old and developed a great friendship with him. As akward as it may sound and disregarding the age difference we were able to carry great conversations with each other and enjoyed each others company. Me and him had so much in common on the way are thoughts and views were on so many things it was crazy, but yet interesting that we could have a friendship. I would talk to him over the phone, visited him, ate lunch, and kept up with him until sadly when our relationship was really great he passed away. I was very sad that i had lost such a great person who meant so much as a friend. He always gave me advice on every day situations and am honored to have met him.
