[joenot443]

I think you hit the nail on the head. The small-town, big family folks I know (my parents included), all started their families before 25. It's the double professional degree couples with a late start who end up at the fertility clinic, and tragically, are incredibly more likely to produce children with complications.

Even now, as someone who's 27 and looking to start a family before I'm 30, I'm having to be more discerning with age when picking a lifelong partner. My women friends haven't been especially supportive of this strategy, and I can see it when I introduce them to a date a few years younger than them. Call it selfishness, call it pragmatism, but when it comes to the health of my future children, I don't mind being choosy.

[krageon]

If these women are younger than them, I think the judgement can be safely categorised as jealousy. The fact that you're picking partners younger than them makes them feel like they're not good enough, which is why they are upset. That doesn't make you selfish - you don't exist to make others feel good.

[kredd]

I’m around the same age group as the above commenter described, and I can confidently say “not being supportive of dating someone significantly younger than yourself” at our age is looked frown upon. We usually joke about “lol i can’t imagine having anything common with 21 year old self, and as a self respecting person, i wouldn’t date one either”.

I think it’s a cultural thing, and personally I wouldn’t judge two of-age people making their own decisions. Really depends on your group dynamics and groupthink.

Also, not every co-ed friendship is rooted in jealousy or sexual desires.