Look, I've dated a lot between the ages of 52 and 62. A LOT depends on what you are looking for at this age.
1) Some are still looking for the "love of their life", to settle down with that one person for the rest of their life.
2) Some don't want that kind of serious lifelong commitment but would like to have a steady dating partner.
3) Some don't want any commitment at all and just want to have fun with various dates with no obligation.
I fall somewhere around number two - I have NO interest in marrying again legally, but would like to have just one partner to share my life with. But if CMM, my current boyfriend, were to die on me, I might choose to just be a number 3 person going forward.
NOW - how you approach dating should depend on what your goals are. Someone who is a number 3 has NO BUSINESS dating a number 1 and should be responsible and stay away. If you're a number 3, try to find other number 3's to date. You'll both be happier. If you're a number 1, don't waste your time dating number 3's.
As for the chasing business - I know, as a woman, it can scare me off if somebody comes on too strong right out of the gate. It makes you feel like they aren't falling for YOU but for their IDEA of you, their fantasy. And if you don't feel like you really know them well enough yet to make that assessment yourself, it's off-putting. I do think most men and women like a little uncertainty at first - how many couples do you know who tell a story of meeting that is some variation on "I didn't know if he/she liked me then XYZ happened and now we're together"?
On the other hand - I know for a fact that in my younger days, I gave up on some guys who didn't seem to be expressing enough interest, only to find out years after the fact that they WERE interested and probably would have stepped up if I'd been a little more patient and not moved on so quickly.
