Wow. I like the subject, don't dislike the opinion, but do have a different perspective about it...[WARNING: Long post acomin']

I agree that a few people are a little heavy on the sanctimony sometimes, the name-calling, and the judgment, especially if others don't agree with whatever negative trait they're convinced everybody of a particular group displays, but I think most people on these boards give reasoned, thoughtful, and respectful opinions based on their experiences. I really believe that's true. If most people were nasty and negative here, as many more people are on other message boards (pick one, pick ANY one) I wouldn't participate.

I think experience is funny in that it doesn't always guarantee that things will go the way you want them to in the future, especially where dating is concerned, because the other element in the equation that cannot be controlled is people. I think experience helps you make better decisions about YOUR actions; your experience doesn't do much to control what others do, though.

I also think that people are largely unpredictable, uncontrollable, and do the darndest things, despite your best efforts. Despite the propensity of some people to ascribe traits to "most" or the generalized "men" and "women" when they give their take on what the opposite sex does, you just can't ever tell what another human being not named you will do most of the time. Heck, sometimes I shock myself with the things I do and say...and type; how can I possibly declare with any kind of certainty what a man will do.

What I do know with certainty is that the people we meet aren't always on the same level of understanding, maturity, and experience that we may be on. So you can be as wise as older Solomon about dating and relationships all you want, but if you keep meeting people who are on a younger Solomon's level of understanding about dating and relationships, you might have quite a bit of alone time on your hands. Why not find some nice people to talk about this enigma called dating with? At least looking at what others have and are going through, you definitely know that it's not just you.

Also, if you know what you're looking for in a mate, I think you're more selective in the very initial stages of dating. You know the kind of person you want to spend time with, so dating just anybody just for the sake of dating somebody isn't appealing to you. You know the younger Solomons get on your nerves, and you'd rather wait until you come across someone you think (hope) is an older Solomon type rather than spend a lot of your precious time and energy being ticked off at the young'uns.

But...maybe that's just me...

I wish it were true that your experience and wisdom equals you getting the outcome you want when you think you should have it, but because the one important factor that you can't really control in dating is other people, I just don't think that's the case. Believe me...I so wish it were the case.

But here's the GREAT thing about experience - what you've learned isn't voided if you're not where you want to be yet. And even if you don't have what you want yet, your experience might help someone else get a little closer to what they want. I think that's pretty sweet.

The End.