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?
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That is some really interesting reading.
Didn't know there actually was an english expression that is so... to the point.
I can so much identify with all of the points (experienced all of them in the past), good to know others have seen that too. Seems like a natural process that you learn that it's ok to have an old soul.
Every single point of that list hit me at some time in the past. Not being taken seriously luckily dissappears with getting older, collecting academic degrees and learning how to talk to average people in a language they understand. Therefore another point kicks in with age, being hopelessly romantic. Only deeply liked one girl in my life so far, and fate willed it differently.
Not fitting in into the hectic modern society is a good thing, when you can still follow your carrier. And you will boldly go where nobody has ever gone before.
I wonder where to meet other old souls. Seems they are very rare in today's society. Additionally, mostly they will also be pursuing old-soul activities like reading a good book in their home, so you will never meet them.
Haha, you are so right. One thing that also is very important is silence. I also identified myself with all the above mentioned points.
But there is something that I am still kind of struggling with. And that's silence. I don't have a problem with keeping silent. It's just that I can't stand people who can't be silent when they really should. I wish I could just walk away, wish it was as easy as that.
I must admit, meeting old souls has proven to be hard. But not just old souls. Meeting people in particular is hard for me. Trusting seems to be a pain in the ass. But good thing is that people like us tend to be patient as f*ck. So eventually we will meet like-minded people.
Most points have nothing to do with being an old soul, like being alone or having almost no interest in parties et cetera. Thats just a preference. Being fully happy with yourself and not needing anyone to be happy is something that old souls carry with them. By the way, not liking people of the same age is holding a negative attitude. There are many people that tend to be or are mentally older than there own age. You just have to put effort in it to find them or they find you when you are young. You dont need to become older to understand that you can accept every level of age. You are born with it or the fake one: you are being teached how to behave. I always took my own advice: look at a persons personality. Though ofcourse everyone has its right to show their own thoughts and opinion. I only have an opinion of what is written...not of the writer.
Looking at each of the things you had in this article, I can ID each one of them to my life and I am 69 now. I know that does not make me an old soul, or maybe it does but it does ring very close to my soul.
Good writing. Our understanding of an Old Soul differs.
I can't disagree and I also do identify myself with all of the above... I would also add that so many times an old soul would pass through different experiences, that can be so traumatic for most of the people, and still smiling, remaining detached and observative, feeling stronger and not weaker, still confident and grateful that life is so vibrant and provocative... seeing all those as opportunities for a deeper understanding of life ... This is my experience...