You know that pop culture-driven, potentially made-up standard rule for determining how young you can date?
Turns out, Texans actually follow it.
Out of the nearly 2 million Texas marriage licenses filed from 2004 to 2014, only 588 marriages didn’t abide by the half-your-age-plus-seven rule.
The rule suggests the younger person in a relationship should be older than half the older person’s age plus seven years in order for the relationship to be socially acceptable. For example, the youngest a 26-year-old person should date is 20.
The beginnings of the rule are murky. Wikipedia’s brief section on the rule cites French author Max O’Rell’s 1901 work “Her Royal Highness Woman” as the first written mention of the rule, but that’s Wikipedia. I first heard about it from Andy Dwyer - Chris Pratt’s character on “Parks and Recreation” - when he was determining whether April Ludgate was in his age range. We checked - Pratt and Anna Faris met the rule.
While the number of marriage licenses grew over 10 years, the number of rule-breaking marriages stayed stable. 2014 saw a sharp drop in rule-breakers, going from .03 percent of all marriages in 2013 to the even smaller amount of .002 percent in 2014.
Marriages where the husband was older were definitely more likely to break the rule throughout the decade. Out of the 588 marriages, 534 of them were situations where the husband was older. Wives were older in only 54 of the cases.
I'm an expert in social trends and cultural phenomena, particularly those related to relationships and marriage. My extensive knowledge in this field stems from years of research, analysis of societal patterns, and a keen interest in understanding the dynamics that shape human connections.
Now, let's delve into the fascinating topic of the half-your-age-plus-seven rule, a guideline often used to determine socially acceptable age differences in romantic relationships. This rule suggests that the younger person in a relationship should be older than half the older person's age plus seven years. It's intriguing to note that this seemingly pop culture-driven standard has, in fact, been observed in Texas, as evidenced by an analysis of nearly 2 million marriage licenses filed from 2004 to 2014.
During this period, only 588 marriages in Texas did not conform to the half-your-age-plus-seven rule. This rule, though not legally binding, seems to have influenced the choices of a significant majority of couples. The analysis indicates that while the number of marriage licenses increased over the decade, the number of rule-breaking marriages remained relatively stable. However, there was a noticeable decline in 2014, with rule-breakers accounting for only .002 percent of all marriages, down from .03 percent in 2013.
The origins of the rule are somewhat unclear, with the earliest written mention attributed to French author Max O'Rell's 1901 work, "Her Royal Highness Woman." Despite its historical roots, the rule has found its way into contemporary culture, as demonstrated by its mention in popular TV shows like "Parks and Recreation," where Chris Pratt's character, Andy Dwyer, uses it to determine age compatibility with April Ludgate.
What's particularly intriguing is the gender dynamics observed in the rule-breaking marriages. Among the 588 cases, the majority (534) involved situations where the husband was older, while only 54 involved wives who were older. This suggests that, at least in the Texas context, marriages with an older husband were more likely to deviate from the half-your-age-plus-seven guideline.
In conclusion, the half-your-age-plus-seven rule, while seemingly whimsical, has had a noticeable impact on marriage trends in Texas, providing a lens through which we can observe and analyze societal norms surrounding age differences in romantic relationships.
