I had a most interesting couple of discussions with some incels on Instagram. They seemed to think it was impossible that I was seriously dating anyone in my 40s, that I simply couldn't be wanted for real and deception on this matter was the rule.

One even told me that he was sexually seeing a woman 8 years older than himself but he would never consider her for a relationship because of her age and the ability to have kids. The thing is I hear story after happy story about women having perfectly fine kids in their 40s and going from dating to married with their first in 1.5 years, so he seems stupid to me. But he was insistent that I was some huge exception.

Being an intellectual I've always had to deal with similar attitudes. I was pretty shocked with what they were saying as if it were normal even though I'd dealt with it before. I also realized that I knew 5 couples who had married between 40 and 50 and are happy now, so I see how much people live in their little belief bubbles. It was really sad though.