I vote, pay my taxes and look up DIY home decor tutorials on Pinterest. I’m just a 30-year-old locked in a 19-year-old’s body.
If you personally identify with this, the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” may be your personal memoir.
Many people don’t realize there can be a gap between physical age and emotional evolvement.
Different experiences in life can shape who we are and how we grow. Older generations dismiss 20-somethings and say, "You still have a lot of maturing to do.”
However, many societal innovations and business accomplishments are discovered by people who are still quite young.
There are many things people with old souls experience.
Here are just a few:
1. People have always referred to you as an old soul, and you've always been more grounded. You were the child who said, “I want to be a heart surgeon when I grow up” instead of the stereotypical answers of princess or prince.
2. You could not wait to be old enough to get a real job. Wall Street? I'd like to submit my application. Yes, I'm 16 years old.
3. You don’t understand the point of random hookups and staying in relationships that aren’t going anywhere.
4. You search for a deep and compatible companion who could last forever.
5. You then always have to defend yourself as to why you want a committed relationship at such a young age.
6. People always turn to you for advice and to be a shoulder to lean on. You're basically Dr. Drew at this point.
7. You enjoy the simpler things in life, like a real book because you love the smell of paper and ink instead of swiping on a Kindle.
8. You keep a tight and intimate circle of friends. You understand the dangers of toxic relationships and don’t want to waste your time on shallow friendships.
9. You understand who you are and where you want to go in life. While others went to college to find themselves, you already knew what you wanted.
10. You get slightly offended when someone tells you how young you look. You might interpret this as not being taken seriously or seen as an equal.
11. People find it easy to trust you with a lot of responsibility because they know you can handle it.
12. But, you genuinely enjoy this form of trust because responsibilities and to-do lists are your forte.
13. You don’t associate real learning with school. School is generally based around good grades and the ability to regurgitate information.
14. You’ve never really been a fan of partying because the idea of uncomfortable shoes, drunk strangers hitting on you and being sick the next day makes you cringe. Also, losing control over your body and mind is like your personal hell.
15. You’ve always been attracted to older people, and they question whether you’re a typical [insert age]-year-old who isn't mature enough for that type of relationship.
16. You look for a deeper meaning and cannot accept things happen “because they just do.” You were probably also a child who could never accept your parents' “because I said so” answer.
17. You have a natural talent for reading people. Usually, no one can hide a secret from you or move on after an “I’m fine” because you understand microexpressions.
18. You all-around feel like you’re older than your peers. You’ll look at their actions and choices and feel confused. You're often thinking to yourself, “I was definitely never like that.”
