We’ve turned into a Hive, things are getting serious.

We don't need data from all people because most people are more or less the same in terms of behavior when it comes to relationships. Damn, even among your acquaintances, there are examples of guys who, for some reason, found a "replacement" by the time they reached a certain age. Are they so bad and uninteresting that there are no other options, or what?

I agree with the example of a guy who got a "replacement" from the suburbs. But that guy is 17, and no one needs to be responsible for him.
With the second example, where a couple has been together for more than 7 years, you are completely wrong. They initially met as friends with similar interests and the same social circle when they were both over 25. Neither of them was initially attracted to the other, and for several months, no one considered them as a potential couple. Their relationship developed very smoothly, not because "they wanted sex," but because they had not only similar interests but also the same values. And eventually, at some point, they both realized that they could no longer just see each other and live separately. And yes, the girl is so great that even with a "replacement," she is amazing in every way (I'm not talking about her appearance, although she looks great, but about her domestic skills; she's a great homemaker). And no matter how you look at it, the situation doesn't depend on whether she has a "replacement" or not; people simply enjoy being together.

Yes, they met through relatives, at work, in their village. But the situation was roughly the same as with the saleswoman and the loader. The other saleswomen HAD to take the remaining "normal" guys. They didn't stop wanting the most attractive ones because of that. In some cases, they even had children with him, not with the "normal" guys. And everyone tolerates it, both the "normal" guys and the saleswomen.

"The remaining 'normal' guys," hahaha. More likely, it's just that they think, "Well, at least I won't be alone."

Loneliness is due to the fact that it has become very clear who the "elves" are. And not like in some movies, but right here in your city. Why bother with a loader when you can go into an app where there's a non-zero chance that the best "elf" in the city will pay attention to you? Or even an "elf" from another country.

Watch "Male/Female" and you'll see that many women choose "watermelons" and Kazbek-Dzhanibekovs from their cities, where their appearance is often so bad that even a bag wouldn't save them. And most often, these guys leave them with "replacements," going to their mistresses (and then they leave the mistresses too). Or, on the contrary, a woman would wear a bag over her face and a muzzle so she wouldn't speak, while the guy is quite "normal," and she would worship him. In general, there are different examples, and even "normal" couples exist, but usually, they are either neighbors or adoptive parents of the "little monsters" from the aforementioned couples.

In general, I agree with Koshey because everyone bases their arguments on stereotypes taken from personal experience, the experience of friends, acquaintances, and also from some generalizing materials on the Internet, and as a result, the conversation starts to go nowhere.

Added 13 minutes ago
I can only summarize that it is much easier to start a good relationship at 18-20+ than after 30. And it's not just about appearance, but about what's in your head. With age, people lose their flexibility of thinking, and this greatly hinders the building of relationships. For example, if a person is used to drinking 0.5-1 liter of beer every evening, then they are unlikely to get along with a partner who doesn't drink because that partner will see something unacceptable in it. Someone is a neat freak and wants the house to always be perfectly clean, while the other is okay with letting the house get messy for a week/month and then cleaning it "all at once" (or better yet, have someone else clean it). At 20-25, all this is discussed, and it's not difficult to find a compromise, but older people start defending their comfort zone and don't want to leave it because it has become ingrained in their minds. There are many such everyday examples.
And when you start looking for a partner and meet a single person over 30, the first question that comes to your mind is: what's wrong with him? "I'm 'normal,' and I don't have anyone because I'm 'normal'—but is he really 'normal'?"—this is the thought that haunts people. Divorced? Chews? Drinks/smokes a lot? Mentally ill?—a thousand and one pitfalls that you can stumble upon during a conversation/date with a potential partner if you initially met with this purpose in mind. Of course, no one wants a crocodile with a repulsive appearance, but at that age, people don't pay attention to height and facial features—I beg you.