On the one hand, you are much more mature and self-sufficient than your peers. You know better what you want in life and, unlike most people, don’t fear to be on your own. At the same time, this maturity and innate wisdom can sometimes make you feel alone and misunderstood, especially at the young ages.
Here are some of the struggles of being an old soul in a young body:
Being an old soul at school/college can be particularly challenging as teens more than anyone else seek to fit with their peers. This natural desire to fit in and at the same time being unable to find a common ground with the people of your age can be truly disappointing.
Sometimes, you just feel like you come from a different world and have no place here, with these people. All this can be very painful at a tender age when you only start to figure out what life is all about.
Thus, it makes sense why old souls in their young years often prefer to socialize with elder generations. Even as children and teens, they crave for meaningful communication with other human beings. I remember when I was a schoolgirl, I found talking to my grandfather much more fun than hanging out with my schoolmates, who seemed too silly and immature to me.
Old souls’ way of thinking often surprises other people with its maturity and depth. When you talk about your views and perspective of life, you may sound like a highly evolved person despite your young age.
Still, you may be quite inexperienced in the mundane aspects of life simply because you haven’t been around for long. It can be funny how wise and deep you can be in a substantial conversation, and how helpless you become when it comes to facing some tiny everyday issues of the real life.
Being an old soul may make you feel at least 10-20 years older than you actually are. So no surprise you have values, views and interests that don’t really suit your age. While your peers go clubbing and shopping, you are more likely to enjoy your own company and the comfort of your home doing something meaningful and creative.
I’m an old soul trapped in the 21st century.
-Unknown
And it’s not only about your preferred pastime – your priorities in life also look nothing like the things people of your age want. While they dream of a successful career in the noisy city and seek to make a good impression on others, you may be trying to find a way to make the world a better place or imagine a quiet life somewhere in the woods.
For this reason, other people – both of your age and not – tend to misunderstand your personality and mistake you for being weird and/or boring. It’s quite natural actually as the majority never likes those who stand out and are different in any way.
Old souls at a young age are rarely popular among their peers, so those around you will probably think that you are some kind of weirdo with an old person’s quirks.
In a similar way, your intelligence, talents and potential may be underestimated just because of your tender age and young looks. I believe it’s particularly evident in the workplace where you may find how your less gifted and intelligent colleagues get a promotion sooner than you just because they are older than you and have better communication skills.
Human beings have always had the habit of basing their judgments on looks and other superficial things, but in our days of fakeness and digital narcissism, it seems that the impression you make on others is the only thing that matters. So people are more likely to judge you by your young face and quiet behavior rather than seeing the old soul and mature mind hiding in the depth.
Being an old soul in a young body may make you feel like no one really takes you seriously and understands the depths of your mind.
If you are an old soul, what problems did you face while being young? Please share your experiences in the comment section below.
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Man. I've never been able to "fit in". I was bullied a lot because I really didn't have any peer social awareness. I was never interested in the education system I was forced into. I've always seen things differently. This caused a lot of problems for me and the public education system. I never followed directions, especially in the tests that literally tell you to follow the directions in order and I'd mess it up every time. I didn't do well in group situations or projects. So, basically I was always invalidated the standards set by the government learning institution. So, I actually accepted that I was actually like Forest Gump special. College was so much better for me. I was able to do whatever I wanted independently and was praised and validated for my different ways of thinking. The weirdest thing experienced as a child was this overwhelming anxiety about the world ending, mostly through a spiritual crisis. The thing is.. I don't know why I felt that way. My family did not have any religious indoctrination on me never went to or even talked about religion. I was wondering if that's some sort of old soul knowledge I already knew and understood deeply. Anyway that's just a little about my experience.