At what age do you start to feel old?

[SPOCKED]

I'd start worrying today. NOW! Because you're all going to get very, very old. Nothing you can do about it, so close the curtains and turn out the lights... it's gonna happen.

BOO

 

[Squiggy]

And by the time I get "old" chances are advances in medicine are going to keep me alive much longer than mother nature had intended so I'm going to hate myself and everyone around me for 30 years or so.

Yay!

 

[Chrisisall]

I'd start worrying today. NOW! Because you're all going to get very, very old.

Hopefully!
But, see those peeps who walk REAL SLOW, and are hunched over, and NOT smiling? That's the way NOT to do it. The "if it hurts, don't do it" mentality is responsible for that. Keep moving, have fun & deal with the pain.
That's my free medical advice.

 

[Mr Awe]

It's just that I miss my youth and vitality, independence, and self-reliance sometimes.

Of this list, it sounds like the first two (youth and vitality) are the only ones that are directly related to youth. The other two (independence and self-reliance) should increase with age (excepting the very old). Do you feel as though you have lost ground in those areas. If so, I'd say that points to concerns other than youth.

As for feeling older, I think it's possible to feel older at several points. I remember one short stint in my mid-20s where I felt a bit older. But, I think that was a transitional period. I was clearly not a teen anymore and on my way to being a real adult. Of course, I wasn't old back then but the transition heightened that sense. That passed soon enough.

Now, I'm almost 40 and, yeah, some sensations of becoming old! Generally, I've aged better than most my age so I'm happy. I have no regrets about how things turned out so that helps. Regrets make you feel older.

Mr Awe

 

[Mr Awe]

My boyfriend is 25 and I made sure to make fun of him at least once for it. But that's also because Im mean and like bring up the fact that he's a quarter of a century years old.

25 does seem to be an age that trips some people up, at least momentarily. I used work a university and knew lots of grad students around that age. It was a recurring theme. I left the university and became very close to this young lady who recently turned 25. She was a bit worked up over it! I remember a bit of a concern over it myself. At that age, the concerns seem to pass very quickly though as you realize that you are in fact still very young!

Mr Awe

 

[kes7]

I'm 28 and have really started to freak out over this past year. I'm not where I thought I'd be. I don't actually know where I thought I'd be, but I'm quite sure this isn't it. Then again, I'm not sure my original dreams are holding up so well, anyway. I need new ones. Lately I've been eating much less and working out and thinking a whole lot. I'm really trying to just completely overhaul my life and figure out what I want to do with the rest of it.

 

[Chrisisall]

I'm 28 and have really started to freak out over this past year. I'm not where I thought I'd be. I don't actually know where I thought I'd be, but I'm quite sure this isn't it.

Welcome to the new exciting America & world. You are not alone.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I feel like I've lived three lifetimes already. [Four, actually - someone] Maybe it's because I did so much as a child and as a teen, experienced so many different parts of the world, and learned so much that I feel a little burned out at times and can easily lose sight of the fact that there are still several decades ahead of me yet. And yet I still feel there are areas I have missed out, which I feel I still have time to rectify.

I'm at an uncertain moment in my life at the moment - a crossroads, if you will, where I feel my life is about to change drastically. On the one hand, it could spell the end of my life as I know it, hence my feelings of nostalgia, remembrance and raggedness. On the other hand, it could spell an interesting new opportunity to develop yet another new lifestyle, hence my fresh curiosity, liveliness, and vigour. [You're turning thirty next month, aren't you? - someone else]

Maybe it's not feeling old that's the problem. Maybe it's fearing or embracing change.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I really don't feel old. It is frame of mind, attitude. I also feel young because I stay active. I refuse to ever act old.

Probably the only time I felt old was when my father passed away. When you lose a parent it really ends an age of innocence in a way because you are no longer someone's child. Here you are making funeral arrangements and taking care of them one last time when you've been accustomed to them looking after you.

 

[JustKate]

I haven't felt old yet - and I'm 51.

Now, this isn't to say that I've never seen a young adult do something...well, really young, and felt "no longer young," but I don't think that's the same thing as feeling old. Not to me, anyway.

 

[Chrisisall]

I haven't felt old yet - and I'm 51.

I had to saw a dead branch off the tree in our front yard, and I couldn't reach it, so I climbed the tree & sawed it off just hanging from one hand & my feet, and it occurred to my that my Dad could/would not have done this at 49...

Perception is everything.

 

[auntiehill]

I started to feel old not too long ago, the moment I realized that I can't sit down or stand back up again without grunting.

 

[John Clark]

Hasn't happened yet (Mid 30s) though there are days when my knees would disagree

 

[Mr Awe]

I feel like I've lived three lifetimes already. [Four, actually - someone] Maybe it's because I did so much as a child and as a teen, experienced so many different parts of the world, and learned so much that I feel a little burned out at times and can easily lose sight of the fact that there are still several decades ahead of me yet.

I'm the same but I find that all those experiences make me look forward to more. I start to feel burned out when I get stuck in a rut or a routine. Throw in some new experiences and I feel invogorated.

Maybe it's not feeling old that's the problem. Maybe it's fearing or embracing change.

I agree with this. I think that's a large part of feel old or not. Your (the general you) state of health is very important too. If you're young but not feeling well, you might feel old anyway.

Mr Awe

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I feel like I've lived three lifetimes already. [Four, actually - someone] Maybe it's because I did so much as a child and as a teen, experienced so many different parts of the world, and learned so much that I feel a little burned out at times and can easily lose sight of the fact that there are still several decades ahead of me yet.

I'm the same but I find that all those experiences make me look forward to more. I start to feel burned out when I get stuck in a rut or a routine. Throw in some new experiences and I feel invogorated.

That's an interestng way to look at it. This past year I've had some very different experiences compared to the last, say, 3 years. Some good, some bad. But never dull. And mostly new. The mix of newer life experiences has made my life much less stale, which can only be a good thing, and certainly during these difficult times I feel less insecure.

Your (the general you) state of health is very important too. If you're young but not feeling well, you might feel old anyway.

Yes. Chronic ill health can make one very weary indeed.

Still, you're only as old as the woman you feel, as they say. [I'm not even going to comment - someone]

 

[Mr Awe]

^^^ Or, as I like to say, as young as the last woman who hit on you! By that criteria, I'm feeling nearly 20 years younger than I am!

Mr Awe

 

[Gryffindorian]

^Well, in the States anyways. My youth ended at the 18 milestone. Mind you, I can still look forward to a Vegas trip.

Ah, Vegas. Yeah, baby! Being of a certain age does have its advantages, doesn't it?

Maybe the problem isn't about feeling old. I think I just need to have more spice and fun in my life. I recall having a really great time and feeling so full of life during my last vacation in Sin City two years ago. I guess I'd better start planning my next trip.

I was planning a vegas meetup for when i turn 21 next summer if you're interested. Nothing like a bunch of nerds hanging out in Vegas

And you're probably right. It's nice being able to go out and do something different for once.

Sounds like fun! Do keep me in the loop. I've used up most of my vacation time this year but am hoping to go somewhere in the coming year.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I turn 30 in September, but I still feel like I'm 21/22.

I really think you're only as old as you feel. So, if I was freaking out about the prospect of turning 30, then I wouldn't feel 21/22 anymore, I'd start to feel like I'm about to be 30 or possibly feel older.

So, I'll probably be one of those 70 year olds still dressing like I'm in my 20s getting laughed at, but at least I'll be happy, dammit

 

[Zulu Romeo]

^^^ Or, as I like to say, as young as the last woman who hit on you! By that criteria, I'm feeling nearly 20 years younger than I am!

In my case, as young as the woman who last hit me.

 

[Holdfast]

And by the time I get "old" chances are advances in medicine are going to keep me alive much longer than mother nature had intended...

This is exactly what I keep telling myself, but for me it's a good thing. I want medical technology to advance faster than I decline, so I can stay alive forever!

25 does seem to be an age that trips some people up, at least momentarily. I used work a university and knew lots of grad students around that age. It was a recurring theme. I left the university and became very close to this young lady who recently turned 25. She was a bit worked up over it! I remember a bit of a concern over it myself. At that age, the concerns seem to pass very quickly though as you realize that you are in fact still very young!

This is pretty much spot on. A friend & colleague of mine turned 25 earlier this year, and she got in a tizzy over it too. I couldn't resist teasing her a bit about it, though of course she got her easy revenge by reminding me of my own age later...

I remember feeling that way too at 25. And on turning 30 which was pretty recent.

Anyway, to answer the OP's questions, some days I feel older, some days I recognise I'm still very young in the grander scheme of things. The days I feel older are the days when I feel I'm letting things pass me by and not making the most of my time. The days I feel younger are the days I'm doing things I enjoy and feel that I'm moving forwards.

I naturally tend to try to safeguard my future - I'm an inveterate contingency planner and long-term thinker - which can encourage me to make some sacrifices in the here & now. That in turn can lead to making me feel that I'm not making the most of my time, so I feel older. I'm fighting this by rebalancing how I'm planning for the future and deliberately choosing to take a few more chances than I otherwise would have, say 5 or 10 years ago. I guess this is part of getting a little older/wiser too - to use a financial metaphor, though I'm talking about non-monetary things, "I'm rebalancing my life portfolio a little more towards income than capital growth".

Or, as I like to say, as young as the last woman who hit on you!

I heartily endorse this post!