Never Ask A Woman Her Age: Is It Actually True And Why?

“Never ask a woman her age” is one of the first rules of talking to women we learn. Most of us get acquainted with this notion long before we begin romantic relationships, and it’s one of those things that hasn’t changed with time, even though the place of women in society has changed a lot over the years.

The relationship between women and age has remained tumultuous. Of course, there are women who won’t bat an eye when you ask them about their age even when you meet them for the first time.

However, the rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t ask a woman how old she is unless you know her pretty well or unless she tells you herself. So is it true and why is it so? And is there a more appropriate way of asking a woman her age? Find out right now!

Why is it rude to ask a woman her age?

If you are looking for some secret insight on why women can get offended if they get asked about their age, prepare to be disappointed because there isn’t one. The reason why women don’t like to be asked how old they are is simple: society puts too much value into the woman’s age and the situation doesn’t get much better with time.

Historically, the woman’s age was used as an indicator of her attractiveness, eligibility for marriage, and her ability to bear children. And these days, it’s not that different. Women over 30, and especially over 35 complain that it’s often hard for them to avoid being judged for being single at their age.

It also works in reverse: young women in a professional environment are being undervalued and not taken seriously only because of their age. So whether it’s a personal or a corporate situation, a woman has plenty of reasons to try and avoid answering the question: “How old are you?” or even get offended if she’s asked repeatedly by the same person.

Is there an appropriate way for asking a woman her age?

There are situations where you absolutely must ask a woman her age. We should note that if you intend to have a long-term romantic relationship with a lady, the issue of age will come up naturally sooner or later, so you may not need to rush it. However, if you need to know right away, there are three approaches you can take:

• The indirect approach: “I would have bet all my money that you are younger than 25. So are you?”
• The humorous approach: “Oh, I didn’t know they let high school students into this place. I should file a complaint with the management!”
• The history approach: “What was your favorite band/TV show/movie when you were in high school/college?”

What else should you not ask a woman about?

Asking a woman about her age, especially when you barely know her, is something that everyone knows is a bad idea. However, there are a few other questions that a woman does not want to hear from someone she’s just met. Here are three of those questions:

• “Why are you single?” When you ask this question, think about the answer you want to hear. No woman ever is going to admit that she’s the problem, so there is a big probability she will go on a rant about never having met a decent man, and you don’t really want to hear that.
• “How much do you weigh?” There is no reason why you, a man and not a medical professional, would need that information. You either like the way she looks or you don’t, and you don’t need her exact number on the scale to decide.
• “How many partners have you had?” This is a question that is inappropriate for a woman you’ve just met, and it doesn’t become more appropriate after you’ve been dating for some time. There are some things a woman should keep to herself.

Final thoughts

So, the short version of an answer to the question “Is it rude to ask someone their age?” is “Yes,” but only because we are preconditioned by society to think of age as a criterion of someone’s attractiveness and eligibility.

As soon as we as a society stop thinking about age as a standard for marriage, women will gradually become less offended when you ask them about their age directly, and age will become just another subject of conversation, such as where she went to school or whether she has any siblings.

Mark Murphy