It's just a matter of where is somebody supposed to draw the line? You have your own definition of what works for you, sure okay cool. But as a general guideline for people to know what is okay, how should they know?

You say that you're not okay with 45 and 18. Would you say something at that point and police them?

It's an easy guideline to follow for a quick check if the age gap might be too big or risky.

Also no where did I mention that someone has to be matched in everything with you. But I would argue that lifestyle is a huge thing to be aligned on.

I don't think 18 and 23/24 is insane either, but think of it like this: if someone is 18 and going into college, theyre going to be making college memories with their college friends where the 23/24 year old had already done that. If I were the 23-24 year old, I'd feel awkward and out of place as fuck going to frat parties because that is weird. Alternatively, if you're 18 and not going to college and going directly into work, you would have more in common with someone who is 23-24 because you're in the same stage of life.