Being an "old soul" in the millennial generation isn't easy, especially with the fast pace innovation of technology and social media influencing the culture of our society. I would like to define an "old soul" as being an old person trapped in a young person's body, and when it comes to the mind and heart you are more mature and years ahead than those of your age group.
It is difficult to relate to your peers that you find yourself enjoying your time more hanging out with an older crowd or being alone. Is it mean to say that you actually like having a conversation, discussing things more important to life instead of hearing how drunk you got last night? I've known for some time I was an "old soul" mostly because no matter how hard I throw myself into situations that people my age are generally supposed to like doing and talk about, I still have a harder time wrapping my mind around and putting my entire self into have a good, genuine feeling and attitude towards. There is nothing wrong or bad about it; you are just different, but you probably knew that already.
I would like to say that being an "old soul" is unique. I don't necessarily think it is based on the way you were raised, but I believe it could partially factor into it and the values you grew up with. I was raised in a loving and humble but strict and old-fashioned household. I always questioned and argued with my parents about the way they thought or did things, or simply how they disciplined me. I'm already 20 years old and not much as changed. The past few years as I got older though I noticed a lot of their mentalities and interests developed as mine; everything started to make sense to me.
Here are 20 signs that may make you an "old soul":
1. Everyone goes to you for advice.
You're like the elder of a clan or their parent with profound wisdom beyond your years.
2. You "feel" old.
You're probably a homebody but you're content being one. You enjoy your time hanging out with older people and are more attracted to them than younger. I have always made friends with more upperclassmen than students of my own grade; they always forget I am younger than they are or can never guess firsthand I am much younger. You don't enjoy being in big social gatherings, especially in tight crowds or being around loud music such as being at a house party. You prefer having fun in less intense environments and where you can actually hear the person talking to you. You're not exactly a fan of losing control over your mind and body too. You might also go to bed much earlier than your peers or take a lot of naps just because you get drained quicker. This makes us appear to be "detached from reality" but in fact, we are just in an alternative reality.
3. You value for a deep connection and compatibility.
Everything can't be so serious all the time, but if I can have a meaningful and thoughtful conversation with you then you're a keeper. Time is precious to me and I don't like wasting it.
4. You feel like you were born in the wrong time period.
You like handwritten letters versus emails; you like reading paperbacks versus electronically through a tablet; you like receiving phone calls more than text messages; you still listen to top 40 but much more to older music, perhaps even music before you were born more than from your own decade. You don't understand dance moves such as 'twerking' and feel insanely awkward trying to do it, but you admire older dance styles such as swing.
5. People might think you come off as apathetic because of your carefree and easygoing nature.
Reality is we care a whole lot, more so think long-term rather than short-term. We might not receive the impact on the same level but we see struggles in life as a moment to learn from and make us stronger.
6. You enjoy and are thankful for the simplest pleasures of life.
Reading a book, watching the sunset, having a cup of tea, gardening, sitting outside with your dog by your feet, or even just watching snowflakes gracefully fall outside through the window.
7. You always like learning and meeting new people.
You are always thinking and asking questions. 'Where did this come from?' 'How did this come to be?' 'Why does this happen?' You find excitement meeting new people and getting to know everything about them. You want to get to know more cultures and different backgrounds. You're not exactly nosy but rather intrigued to get to know how all sorts of people work.
8. You see the bigger picture. You are introspective. You have listened to someone, reflected, and have taken their experiences as lessons for yourself to apply into the future. You may have experienced life more, understood and met all different kinds of people or saw more parts of the world than others, that you can see everything from another perspective people may not firsthand.
9. You are generous. Generous with anything or maybe everything, honestly. Whether that is with patience, love, compassion, or charity... the list goes on forever! You also most likely don't have an ego.
10. You are more responsible and mature for your age. You have a harder time being taken seriously since you're so young. It has often been found "cute" you act so adult. You aren't reckless and understand your actions have consequences that can affect you and others. You take others' feelings into consideration each and every time, most likely putting them first before yourself. You don't understand random hookups and staying in relationships that aren't going anywhere. You may not even understand the current slang and pop culture to today. I know I still don't and need to Urban Dictionary everything online if I am too embarrassed to ask a friend.
11. You don't care for popularity. You follow your own path. Wow, you're too hipster to follow mainstream society. You're generally not too into trends or are materialistic. You don't feel the need to follow the crowd and have the courage to do your own thing. You have probably been told you were weird because of it since you don't fit in. You don't exactly "belong" anywhere that you may tend to hang out with many various groups to fulfill everything.
12. People will probably think you're boring. You probably don't say much until initiated in conversation. You're also most likely just picky in the people you spend your time and energy with so you don't immediately reveal all your feathers.
13. You have a more sensitive and spiritual nature. You "have a feeling" or "just know"- it's a knowledge and wisdom you seem to have without developing from anywhere. You rely on your intuition to make decisions. You just know you are right based off of this particular feeling and don't need to question it. You may not necessarily be religious, however, you explore big ideas and questions to seek answers. You don't always rely on religion for direction.
14. You are empathetic. You can feel for others and understand their pain. You get vulnerable and maybe express the same emotion as them, like crying if they are crying too. You reach out to others and don't think twice if they need something. You tend to give more than you receive.
15. You find it frustrating and confusing that people can't see things as clearly and obvious to you even after explaining it to them. You don't understand the younger peoples' goals and priorities since you might have everything all figured out earlier than they have. You have a destination whereas others may be getting lost walking around the block, even if they are holding a map in front of their face.
16. You have a small friend group but plenty of acquaintances. Quality over quantity is your motto!
17. You seek truth, to do things with meaning and to find a sense of purpose. Your life is a quest to feel things deeply and become immersed in things that are significant to you. You do not care for a life of frivolity.
18. You are naturally calm and don't fall under pressure. When everyone else is stressing, you aren't or at least don't show it. You work differently from others. Nothing gets done if everyone is losing their heads. You understand there is always something to be learned and to focus on the solution, not the problem.
19. Dating is very difficult since we like being traditional. Chivalry, romance, and love are not dead. Communication is one of the greatest forms of intimacy for us. You don't play games and talk out your thoughts. You enjoy spending time with your partner and getting to know the smallest details about them, but will prefer having your own personal space sometimes. You are a deep thinker and spend a lot of time in your head so overthinking and receiving mixed signals drives you insane. You appreciate when someone is being straightforward even if it's something harsh because you appreciate honesty so much more.
20. We carry many paradoxical traits. Examples are aiming for stability in our lives but wanting plenty of freedom as well, we can be creative and imaginative individuals but be very quiet and realistic, and we can be very playful and childlike while still maintaining a certain world-weariness and deep insight.
I have realized more each and every day I was an "old soul" in the past few years and I'm proud of it. I have to admit it does make you feel lonely sometimes since there aren't many people of your kind, but I like who I am and I would never change myself to satisfy others or meet the so-called expectations of today's culture. I would have to thank my parents for influencing me to become this way though. I find having this quality to be rather fun!
