Is It Wrong To Date Your 4th Cousin?

Im actually in love with my fourth cousin.  He makes me the happiest that I have ever been...so i def see nothing wrong with it.  Follow your heart.Dont care what society thinks. If you are meant to be with someone you just know it.  So do whatever your heart tells you.

I will have to disagree with ladycook. Especially if she thinks its right to date a 1st cousin.  That person is related to you, regardless if they are 1st or 4th. They are a part of the family and i believe that it would be a bit awkward dating a cousin period. That isn't right. Why date your own family member? That's what a slightly sick person would do (in my opinion anyway). Try dating someone that isn't related to you!

Yes yes ew ew ew! Thats sick. Find someone that isnt related!!

I think it is. It is a member of your family. Whether it is your fourth cousin or your 15th it is awkward. Just the word cousin is a total turn off. Go find someone who is not in your blood line. Maybe you could look for someone with the same characteristics as your cousin.

I actually have a funny story about that.  I met my wife in college.  I fell in love with her, we got married.  Then after five years of marriage, I got a call from my wife's great aunt (who is really in to genealogy).  She asked me if I was related to so and so.  And I said "yes that is my great grand pa.  Why?".  She laughed and said that my wife and I were 4th cousins.  And she explained the connection.  Well, after the phone call, I kind of freaked out for a day or so, after a lot of research, I was able to accept it as being okay.  I still am deeply in love of my wife.  We now have 3 beautiful children.  They are all wonderful, beautiful, and smart.  None of them druel excessively or have an extra arm growing out of their heads.  Don't worry about it.  There is no more risk marrying a 4th cousin than if you married someone else.  I didn't even know the girl I fell in love with was my 4th cousin.  It is just kind of funny to me that my kids are 5th cousins....I guess if can get over those kind of realizations you will be okay.  Don't listen to ignorant folks on here.  They are basing their misgivings on incorrect information.

I am almost 31... When I was a sophomore in high school I was very excited to go back on the first day of school.  My older cousins told me that boy change a lot in the summer between freshman year and sophomore.. I also knew we would all be getting our drivers license in the next year...  I went to a school where there were 200 or so in my grade level.. I went to my english class... I believe it was my 3rd class of the day... It seems like my friend amy and I had lunch after that... Anyhow I walked in and my english teacher (who already knew amy and I) said that she finally had a smaller class and that we could sit anywhere... A few other students filed into the room...we knew everyone... Suddenly as the bell rings...the hottest guy walks into the room... I had never seen him before in my life.  He takes a seat by me!  There were other seats around...  It turns out that our teacher gave us a first day of school assignment where we were suppose to interview each other and then practice speaking allowed in front of the group, etc... I got to interview the new cute guy!  I got his name and everything... We became friends after that... My mom was working as a lunch lady at school at that time and she asked me about the guy that was in line by me and I just simply said his name was Daniel.  I go home and then my dad asked me about the guy and i said his first and last name and dad states that he has cousins with that last name that he really didnt know but that they lived somewhere locally... Basically his cousins were quiet older than he was and he didnt grow up with them... Well the last name was kinda common, but I was a little freaked out.  I went to school and it turns out that my dads first cousin was his grandpa... It made us 4th cousins... SO after that we drifted apart... I didnt see him even in passing after we graduated...we were 18.   Within the last month I was looking around facebook for old friends under my graduation classes from both high school and college.  I added a guy friend from college and a couple from high school... THe next day or so I am looking under the people I may know thing... Daniel was on there... It turns out the guy I knew in college... He knew from somewhere else and the couple of high school friends I added also had him as a friend.. That made me have 3 in common friends with him... So anyhow to make a long story even longer... We added each other.  So it was fine and dandy.. He chatted a bit to get caught up  He said he had gone to a chili dinner and I said I like chili a lot and then he said he wished he had known and I could have gone with him.  I didnt think too much about it.  Later I put a status update up complaining that i have to work on thanksgiving....he comments on it and says he would have 2 thanksgiving dinner to go if I would like to join him anytime in the day or evening.  I havent seen him and I dont know what to  think.  I am hoping he only wants to be friends and hang out.  I havent agreed to see him yet or anything.  I reminded him that we were distantly related... He had forgotten, but it didnt seem to bother him.  We neither one have been married and have similar values... Im not saying that anything could or would happen... I have just been wondering if it would be normal if it did and also guilty that I can even think of this!  LOL

i wouldn't have thought so. You can marry a first cousin so I can't see why you can't date a fourth cousin.

I've done research on the topic. First cousins can even marry, genetically and legally. Fourth cousins are so far down the line, their genetics are as close as if they were random strangers who met.
You can research this further at www.cousincouples.cominfo/facts.shtml or en.wikipedia.org

Yes they are related to you