Midlife Transformations in Relationship Perspectives
The answer to your question can be formulated as follows. There is an opinion that, with age, women undergo a psychological transformation during which their perception of partners becomes less unambiguous and categorical. Thus, according to the material presented in one of the sources, “successful resolution of the midlife crisis usually entails a reformulation of goals towards more realistic ones, with an awareness of each person's limited lifespan.” This means that as life experience accumulates and maturity sets in, women begin to see in men not only objects of sexual attraction or opposition, but also potential friends and partners for a shared life. This shift in attitudes helps reduce the high expectations that might have been characteristic of earlier stages of life, when the emotional tone of relationships was more intense and idealized.Such psychological reassessment is accompanied by a reduction in an egocentric sexual mindset, allowing women to more objectively evaluate the real possibilities and characteristics of men. In other words, thanks to accumulated experience and changing life priorities, women begin to seek in their partners not so much the ideal of masculinity, but rather relationships that are mutually supportive and friendly. This, in turn, influences the reduction of the demands placed on men, as expectations cease to be rigidly fixed on unattainable traits.Supporting citation(s):"On the other hand, there are people who, even in midlife, continue to view every person of the opposite sex only within the framework of sexual attraction or repulsion, and those of the same sex as potential rivals. According to psychologist Peka (1968), in more successful cases of reaching maturity the sexual egocentric orientation is to some extent blocked, and those around are perceived, for the most part, as potential friends. A successful resolution of the midlife crisis usually includes a reformulation of goals towards more realistic ones, with an awareness of the limited lifespan of each person." (source: link txt)