I tripped over it on Twitter when Emma Alberici threw out a question about how old did people feel they were. I knew that instantly. Seventeen.
No, wait.
Fifteen, emotionally. Seventeen forever.
Spoiler alert: I am, of course, somewhat older than this. I was also joking. In my head, I’m about 42.
This weird disconnect is the heart of the aptly-named Jennifer Senior’s essay. It often catches up with us at school reunions:
You look around at your lined and thickened classmates, wondering how they could have so violently capitulated to age; then you see photographs of yourself from that same event and realize: Oh.
And it’s not exactly about how old we ‘feel;’. If I tote up all my daily aches and pains, I feel about 300 years old. But In the world of real things, 58.
My internal clock, however, is forever stopped at 42.
Apparently, this is absolutely a thing. As Senior writes, according to the research (yes, of course there’s research), “adults over 40 perceive themselves to be, on average, about 20 per cent younger than their actual age.”
There are a bunch of reasons why, but none of them are settled in the literature. The one I like the most is the vigour/maturity nexus. We like to think of ourselves as resting forever at the intersection of the age when we felt most capable physically and most mature emotionally. For me, that was about 42.
It’s a pity the world won’t slow down and let me stay there.
It ain’t the years it’s the mileage. Mine was mostly off road so physically I’m with you on the aches and pains. I am however immature so that counts for something right?
17. Forever think act and feel 17. A stupid but quite nice 17 year old. Forever wanting to be told I'm an amiable young man on a reference. The other day I said I shouldn't worry , I'm in my 50s... my mouth said that , brain wasn't quite sure. However when I bend over I'm about 78.
My felt age varies depending on where on the cycle in the meds I am, so anywhere from 42 to 102. Makes for an interesting day at least I don't always hit the peak.
35 I shall remain… until my 50 year old body eventually wins and convinces my mind otherwise through the use of unwanted restrictions being forced upon it. I will fight it all the way!! 😁
It ain’t the years it’s the mileage. Mine was mostly off road so physically I’m with you on the aches and pains. I am however immature so that counts for something right?
I always have to think about it now when someone asks my age. I can’t really believe that I’m 56 so I guess I must feel like I’m forty something.
46 year old here. Still convinced I'm in my early 30s 😫
How about the puzzling gap between how your singing voice sounds to you and how it sounds to other people???
17. Forever think act and feel 17. A stupid but quite nice 17 year old. Forever wanting to be told I'm an amiable young man on a reference. The other day I said I shouldn't worry , I'm in my 50s... my mouth said that , brain wasn't quite sure. However when I bend over I'm about 78.
My felt age varies depending on where on the cycle in the meds I am, so anywhere from 42 to 102. Makes for an interesting day at least I don't always hit the peak.
As the old saying goes "You have to grow old, but you don't have to grow up!" ß-Þ
35 I shall remain… until my 50 year old body eventually wins and convinces my mind otherwise through the use of unwanted restrictions being forced upon it. I will fight it all the way!! 😁