I enjoy my old soul ways, but I haven’t always. Growing up with tendencies that others saw as odd and old-fashioned can be difficult, particularly in the modern society we live in today. Here is my list of difficult things I experienced when growing up as an old soul – can you identify with any of them?
This can relate to dating, friendships or even classmates. Seeing others your own age as immature can be a problem for old souls when they’re younger. As children, we’re conditioned to think we must be friends with those our own age so when it seems hard to communicate with your peers and you don’t really understand why, it can be difficult.
Luckily, as you get older, the reason for this dislike of those your own age becomes apparent and you are more accepting of friendships of people of all ages, despite your old soul.
Having old-fashioned hobbies and different tastes in things like music or books can be difficult when you’re younger as those around you can pick-up on your differences and tease you for it.
This is one of my main difficulties once I’d reached the legal drinking age. Everyone around me wanted to go out and party, but I was much happier curled up at home with a good book.
Whilst this can seem distressing at a young age, learn to accept it is just your old soul speaking to you and that there is nothing wrong with you, you’d just rather stay home.
Old souls tend to have a very strong romantic streak that can become all-consuming, particularly if that romance ends in heartbreak and more often than not, at a young age, it will.
Feeling everything so much deeper than those around you can be a sign that you’re an old soul, so when romance goes wrong, it can hurt, a lot.
Feeling like you don’t quite fit in with the world around you is a difficult feeling to experience when growing up. It can be soul-destroying when you’re in the awkward teenage years and can’t see where you belong in the world.
But when you’re older, you will become more comfortable with yourself and see that you do have a place in the world, it just may be different to those around you.
A big struggle for an old soul trying to get somewhere in life is not being taken seriously enough because of your age. Even though your maturity level is probably above theirs.
Being alone and enjoying doing nothing is something very precious to an old soul, and explaining that to others who don’t understand can be difficult.
In today’s society, we are told to be attached to technology at all times and never bored, whereas old souls are content with their own company.
Growing up as an old soul can mean many different things to different people, but these are the ones I found are most common to my own experience.
What else would you add to this list? If you’re an old soul, do you disagree with anything I’ve written?
View Comments
Enjoyed your post......
You nailed the basics, but missed the most important one:
Knowing you do not want to have to come back and keep doing this over again......wondering when you are going to get it right and be able to move on to the next experience.....knowing your own weaknesses so completely and feeling doomed to keep repeating them....there is a pain in your soul....a longing in your heart......These are not symptoms of depression...my family and friend describe me as the most upbeat person they know......that is because I shower them with love and caring......I believe that getting our relationships right is necessary to be able to move on ......also enjoying the things we have, but not having them own you......losing the ego ....avoid the need for power or greed.....my Mother said it best, "You come into the world naked and owning nothing....and when you leave the only things you get to take with you is the love you create". Old souls value love over anything else!
Yes, this is so true, in all aspects. I Am 64 years young. I like be active in most things. But, I have found. That though, I like to Move around Quickly. The body is telling me. 'Hey, it's ok to have Fun. We just need to slow down abit.' I have learned so much. Just by being a people observer. And, by listening, and observing those around me. And by Thinking before Speaking. All though, at times. I Still 'Open mouth, Insert foot.' When this happens, I Am Quick to realize, the statement. And I apoligise....
I identify with all of them. It was hell growing up when I didn't understand why I was the way I was. I hated it. But now I understand.
I can identify with the comment on all-consuming romance. I have experienced it twice in my life, once when I was 23 and again when I was 44. Yeah, 44! Both times I was left heartbroken.
I am a person who is reserved, contemplative and in control --- as we old souls are. But during these periods of obssession, I lose all control, and all my intuitions guide me in wrong directions (e.g. convincing me that the person concerned likes me, when they don't).
When this obssession comes, it engulfs me completely. I live in a dream world for weeks or months where I am constantly with the person concerned, and where they are complete and perfect in every sense. They are my perfect soul mate, or my twin flame, who I have never met in real life.
Then one or both of the following happens:
1) The person does something that shatters the whole perfect movie, and I realise they are not the person I have been idolising and worshipping.
2) I end up doing something so cringeworthy that it haunts me for the next ten years. I begin to doubt my intuitions, which had served me so well for so long. A period of self-doubt starts.
It's not a good place to be in... but I don't think I have a choice. Being an old soul I have to have suffer these streaks. I am only glad that so far they have been 20 years apart :-)
I relate to all those as an only child. I'm not perfectly sure about my own soul age, I assume it's somewhere around very late mature/early old.
I'd like to comment one statement of yours.
"6. Not being taken seriously"
For me it has been even more complicated, because at 32 I look at least 10 years younger. Mentally I feel a lot older than 32, and people who don't know me usually percieve me (and treat me, at least in the beginning) as a student. This is embarrassing and can be confusing sometimes, and I even can't blame them, it's not their fault.