Would you consider someone who has not been in an intimate relationship in 8 years, less likely to become a Longterm partner?

No more so or less likely than someone who has been in 8 short term relationships in the same amount of time. I changed my tune 360 degrees when I met the right lady.

I wouldn’t but I personnally took over 7 years off from dating which was most of my thirties since I felt that after getting cheated on I didn’t feel I could trust when I tried getting back out there and dating again. I never intended on taking such a long time off but found personally after the first year it just got easier to not date. Now when I did start dating again I met someone I will always love even though he has already passed away. You need to know why they took such a time off from dating to understand the situation, sometimes it is better to take time off to heal so that when you do date again it doesn’t hinder your future relationships. I get more concerned when I meet someone who can’t be without a relationship for any sort of time and hop from one person directly to another.

I have gone a decade without an intimate relationship and I am currently in a committed relationship that is over a decade old. I agree with @Cruiser that the right person can cause a 360.

Every situation is different, of course; but in my opinion, someone who has not dated for a few years is probably self-reliant and not needy or desperate. Someone who enters a relationship out of choice, rather than some psychological compulsion to be partnered, is a good pick.

I can’t remember the last date I went on. I’ve not had a fully committed relationship in the 8 years that I have been looking after my son, although I have been involved in one or two not-so-healthy relationships (away from my child’s view). But really I’ve been too busy to date and look for a partner; I have been doing a degree whilst being a mum and I’m now looking for work and studying and volunteering. There really isn’t much more time.

I suspect that I would be looked down upon with not having been in a relationship properly, but then I could equally be admired for having different priorities. I have tried online dating but nothing good has come of it. I’m hoping that I will meet my match some day and that they will accept me for everything I am and have been through.

But knowing myself I would say that I am less likely to enter into a long term relationship unless they are very special…and sadly special relationships are hard to come by, so purely on statistics I’d say that’s a fair summation.

Just that one factor on its own would not make me think the person is not willing or ready for a committed relationship. I would need more information to make some sort of assumption and even then the assumption can be wrong.

I agree with you.

Well, I don’t think it has anything to do with each other. Logic tells me that correlation does not imply causation. Perhaps he/she was just picky… waiting for someone like you.

I would consider someone who has been in a hundred intimate relationships in 8 years to be less likely to become a long term partner.