DK092

Hey guys, I am a 26 year old man and I look younger than my age. I am fairly skinny but above average in height according to the statistics of my country (6ft/182cm), have a dense, dark beard, consider myself moderately attractive and am usually confident. Looking younger is one of my big insecurities because I am struggling with attracting and getting attention from women my age outside of online dating and mostly attract young party-type girls usually from the age of 16 to 21 whom I reject because most of them are not ready for the type of commitment I am looking for (living together, building an existence, getting children etc.). Another problem is that I rarely get respected by people of my age until they really get to know me because at first glance they always assume I am only 18 or 20 and have no life experience. In fact, I have at least the same or more life experience than most people of my age. The older members of my family always tell me that I am lucky I look so young because once I hit the 40s and 50s I might look like 30 and the women will love it. My problem with this is that I do not want to wait until I hit the 40s and 50s and it is bad for my self-esteem and confidence when people just won't respect or see me as an equal at first. So what can I do to appear more mature and according to my age?

That's because all this enlightement stuff basically teaches you to be good on your own and reach your maximum potential as a human being. That's what i meant by saying that codependency is only partially a part of our existence. There is no way around the fact that you have to have your shit together before you start a relationship with someone.

There are countless reasons why you should date to find a suitable partner. 1. Your life will become better and you will be a happier person with someone on your side. Not saying that life without a relationship is sad and awful, it's just that a partner will be something that should improve it even further. 2. You will spend less time on the internet, forums etc. because you will be busy spending quality time with your partner. 3. You become more experienced and get to know all kinds of people which helps you in finding out what you really want and desire in a partner. 4. You get to be human. By this I mean that you will be able to satisfy your natural needs. I have the strong belief that we are social creatures and not meant to live alone so in order to feel and have a better life your natural needs and desires have to be met. It is not "needy" or "desperate" to want to have sex, intimacy and a strong bond with someone else. Codependency is to some degree part of our existence. 5. Your confidence and self-esteem will skyrocket. That is thanks to the dopamine and oxytocin rushes we get from dating and relationships. I'm sure you have heard before that being in love has the same effects on your brain as if you were on drugs like cocaine.