Dutch man starts legal firht to identify as 20 years younger

[lagatta]

This one is beyond weird:

Dutch man starts legal fight to identify as 20 years younger

I am most certainly NOT denying the existence of ageism, and how stereotypes can limit people's rights and opportunities in many ways.

It is most certain that being a 69-year-old man in the Netherlands, a country with a very high standard of living and where people are in relatively better health overall than many other wealthy nations, is not the same thing as being 69 years old 40 or 50 years ago, or in many poorer or more unequal countries.

But if this were allowed on a broad scale, it would mean reducing the average life expectancy, something most countries would dislike.

Of course that won't happen, as the vast majority of people don't want to renounce their pensions!

As for dating sites, he should try being a healthy 69-year-old WOMAN... Suspect he is not interested in them.

[bixaorellana]

Christ on a crutch! What the hell is wrong with people?!

His reasoning about buying a house or car is totally specious. Obviously for the deluded narcissistic f*ckhead it's all about self-image & getting chicks.

So true what you say, LaGatta. I've never been on a dating site, but remember from reading newspaper Personals columns that men never were looking for a woman exactly their own age -- no, they always required that she be younger.

As for his seeing himself as a "young god". Yeah, changing his birth date would totally fool his target Tinder audience.

[whatagain]

It says it all : Dutch ... ability to buy ...
Blowing air, if you ask me, something the Dutch have always been good at.
Would not happen in civilized country, like Belgium.
Oops my neighbour who is 57 is a young father of a 6 months old, borne by his new girlefriend of about 23,
younger than 2 of his children.
Actually his wife is older than me but quite attractive.
Yes, but now comes the truth : the neighbour in question has worked several years in Amsterdam (where he found his new girl) - must have been infected.

[lagatta]

Yes, he looks in decent shape, but certainly like someone in his 60s.

Also wondering why on earth he wants a new house and a new car. There is no reason he'd be denied a car lease if his finances were adequate, and it is odd to want a new house when people are usually happily settled into their own, except for needed changes.

The last thing I'd do on earth is take part in a dating site. They are even worse than the old personals columns. By the way, a former cabinet minister in Canada has been caught sexting to someone he assumed to be a "hot chick". Of course it was a scam, but in that case served him right for sending what one used to call "suggestive" photos over the internet. Of course he's been excluded from his party caucus, but it may be even more galling to hear everyone, whatever their party, laughing at him..

[whatagain]

Sexting... I didn't know the word.
Now I have 2 cousins who remarried thanks to dating sites.

[lagatta]

Yes, that has become quite common. Even in the modern world, many marriages are "arranged" by friends and colleagues, but I find online dating even more unsafe.

Never say never, but I'd just as happily remain a gattara (catlady) these days. But hope your cousins and their spouses are happy couples!

A cat gentleman is a gattaro. This is originally Roman dialect.

[kerouac2]

It is obvious that I have met a number of friends online, but I have never met any sort of romantic interest that way. But I know plenty of people who have. I think it is even becoming the majority among younger generations. Nothing wrong with that.

[lagatta]

Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and enlarges the gene pool. I know several people, not all of them young, who have met romantic interests that way. However it wasn't through dating sites, but other types of sites, social media and discussion boards on shared interests; yes, including travel.

[rikita]

hm, changing his age in order to get dates or loans is kind of asking for an official permission to lie, isn't it? the reasons why loans aren't given or other people aren't interested in a date don't go away that day ... hm, if i need loans, could i identify as someone who has a high steady income? or if i went online dating, maybe i should change my profile picture to that of a model, because that's how i see myself?

(and if he changes his age to 49, then he'd look very old for his age ...)

(and him comparing this to transgender people really annoys me a lot - he's basically making fun of transgender people)

(and age is not an identity - it's something that changes every year, and it's just counting, if anything, you could identify as someone born in a specific year, i suppose, not as someone of a specific age)