He’s very nice, but bosses me around!

I am a teenager and have been dating a guy four years older than me. He is sweet and very nice to be with, but he tries to boss me around whenever we are in public. I have repeatedly told him not to do this, because it is insulting to me, but he says he can’t help what he does because of the difference in age. My friends like him, but they also think a relationship with him is a mistake. They are all dating guys our own age, and I have tried chatting with a lot of guys from my college but they just aren’t interesting enough and don’t seem very mature. I want to be with this person, but his behaviour is just difficult to handle at times and I can’t seem to get through to him. Should I break up with him or give it time and hope he will change?
If someone isn’t listening to you, and not treating you as an equal, it is a sign of disrespect; the difference in age has nothing to do with it. You can hope that he will change if you call him out a few more times, but his argument of being unable to do anything just because he happens to be older smacks of insincerity. If someone wants to treat you with respect, they will. It really is as simple as that. Give him another chance and think about what your priorities are and what you really want from this relationship before coming to a decision.

My girlfriend recently told me that she doesn’t enjoy going on dates with me unless there are other people around, because she can’t have long conversations with me alone. Is this a sign that we are not compatible?
If she can’t have conversations with you, it will affect your ability to build trust and communicate better. This is about more than compatibility, and you should ask her why she wants to be with you if this is a problem.