Discussion » Questions » Emotions » Wouldja rather look older than you are when young or younger than you are when old? You can't have it both ways. Which do you choose? Why?

Wouldja rather look older than you are when young or younger than you are when old? You can't have it both ways. Which do you choose? Why?

Posted - January 23, 2017

Responses


  • 211
    I've always looked older than I am.  I remember when I was twelve, people thought I was 16-18.  I'd love to experience the reverse!
      January 23, 2017 9:25 AM MST
    3

  • 113301
    It's funny but when I was younger I looked older and now that I'm older I'm told I look younger. So it worked for me very nicely. Thank you for your reply H2BH2 and Happy Tuesday to you! :)
      January 24, 2017 3:39 AM MST
    1

  • Snigger why can't i have it both ways.. people used to assume I was older when I was young and erm maybe I just choose to believe this but people now say I don't look my age..

    If i had to choose tho.. it would be looking younger when older... not that it matters really just a small vainness on my part
      January 23, 2017 9:26 AM MST
    4

  • 113301
    Same is true for me DdbTD. When I was younger I looked older and now that I'm older I'm told I don't look my age. So I guess we both experienced the best of  both! I'm 79 and when I tell folks my age they look shocked. Of course it could just be kindness on their part. People are very kind. Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
      January 24, 2017 3:40 AM MST
    2

  • Younger when older, society values you more.
      January 23, 2017 9:28 AM MST
    4

  • Fortunately that's way less so here
      January 23, 2017 9:31 AM MST
    2

  • So over there The elderly is actually valued more than the young. Is that what you are saying?
      January 23, 2017 10:05 AM MST
    0

  • Now now Lago I am sure you wouldn't want to put words in my mouth  No I don't mean that.. I have just observed a difference in attitude re Uk/US here age is not the barrier it seems to be there.. maturity and experience are often valued in terms of jobs..and since people often do now look younger than their years it gets harder and harder to guess age based on just look and people seem to be judged way less...  I would say that in some circumstances matruity, (as opposed to old age) is valued more than (young) when it comes to jobs yes..
      January 24, 2017 3:13 PM MST
    0

  • Ok Day, I will.ask. 
    What do you base those observations on. The ones about how different the attitudes are in terms of  ageism.
      January 24, 2017 3:23 PM MST
    0

  • Why thank you Lago for giving me this opportunity..  i base it on my esperience, my kids, their friends, news articles and students I talk to and colleagues and my many conversations online and in real.. I don't pretend it's a good thing but young people, esp very young as in 18-25 face more difficulty finding jobs. Someone 40-55 is seen as preferable for many jobs, particularly shops, customer service etc. In my job maturity is a distinct advantage as I work with adult students and many older students relate better to someone of maturity and the experience of life helps me in relating to students.. being erm older means I can remember what it was like being young and yet I can also relate to older students.. It works well.. 
    I know, as I have two sons.. that they seriously struggled to get jobs.. they wanted jobs and were never in any way lazy.. both are very intelligent... and both went to uni.. one has a masters in addition to the undergrad degree.  and yet neither could find a job.. eventually one has one but it's no where near related to his degree and he had a specialist government funded scheme to help him get it.. the other son, with a degree too is working as a temp doing manual stuff.. as i say both hard working.. both wanting jobs but unfortunately it's very, very hard to get a job when you are younger now... and this is a picture echoed throughout graduates and younger people.. I hope you will understand that this isn't ME saying this.. it's an acknowledged picture.. THings are getting better re jobs now.. but in the worse parts of the recession they, as in the media and govt talked about a lost generation.. young peopel who had left school and never worked.. very sad
    I really hope you will understand Lago, I have no agenda here.. nothing to prove, nothing to gain.. I am just saying that a) we seem to have less age discrimination here and b) younger people do struggle to get work and it seems older more experienced workers seem to have advantage.  please accept that I don't ever say old is better..I didn't say old people.. I said mature.. and that we seem less occupied with aging here in terms of looks too.. many blessings to you
      January 24, 2017 3:53 PM MST
    0

  • And you know? 
    That's all good.
    Now if you let me...
    I have no argument with any of those things that you mention up there. I think it is all Great! 
    But, even if correct,  anecdotal experience is not really what we should consider enough of a source for valid information no? 
    And im not making that up, im pretty sure there's an actual logical fallacy named after that kind of reasoning. Anecdote something or other.
    I mean, I can tell you a completely different story about my own son and how easy it was for him to find work as a cook. That woul also be right, but you must agree that I couldn't use that as measurement for a National Employment Tendencies Analysis. )
    Also, my question to you was "what do you base your assertion that in UK, the attitudes towards the aging are different than they are here". That's the question of rigor. 
    You, if I understand correctly, say that you base that on anecdotes, friends and news. Besides the news, which I would definitely like to read (who knows? Maybe you're right and Americans are just antholes, actually, you're probably right), besides that, we find ourselves in the same boat. I coulsd come up with stories pointing to the.contrary, they would still be true, but hardly proof of any major global trend, yes?
    (Thanks for writing, I hope you take this as lightly and humor like as I intend it.)   )

      January 24, 2017 4:21 PM MST
    0

  • 113301
    I guess that is quite true. Why else do women dye their hair, get plastic surgery? Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday Lago! :)
      January 24, 2017 3:41 AM MST
    2

  • No guessing needed. Think about it, I did. 
    If we were to consider knowledge and erudition and wisdom, elderly people couldn't leave the.house without being hounded about their opinions on this or that.  
    Don't you think that it is an incredibly massive waste, for all the knowledge and ideas and contemplations of an eighth year old man or woman to die with him or her? POOF! Gone. Just like that.
    An old man in the.park talking about love and unity is creepy and weird. A young pretty woman doing the.same is.edgy, New wave. No?

      January 24, 2017 2:15 PM MST
    0

  • I meant eighty.

      January 24, 2017 2:17 PM MST
    0

  • I think they may be separate issues, or more that they are not necessarily connected.. many young people dye their hair.. so it's not necessarily, or, I'd say often anything to do with age.. I think we all like to look as good as we can.. we vary in how much that bothers us and how much we are willing to do to look good but we all do so in our own way.. It's not nec age related.. or I'd say often 
      January 24, 2017 3:15 PM MST
    0

  • Younger when old.

    I've always been someone who looks a bit younger than their age (someone recently thought I was 20 and I'm 25, so I'll take it). 
      January 23, 2017 9:51 AM MST
    2

  • 22891
    i would rather look older, people wont hire me cause i look so young
      January 23, 2017 10:35 AM MST
    3

  • 113301
    Goodness pearl. Some folks would love to have that problem. Not being jobless but being viewed as "too young". Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
      January 24, 2017 3:42 AM MST
    1

  • 1615
    When I was a teenager, one of my friends looked older, so he was a hero to us because he could buy us beer.
      January 23, 2017 2:38 PM MST
    2

  • 113301
    You didn't answer the question I asked Tom T. Happy Tuesday to thee.
      January 24, 2017 3:43 AM MST
    0

  • Unless you're in the miracle business I'd better settle for older when young. I've reached that point where young guys offer to help me if I struggle with a load.
      January 23, 2017 4:36 PM MST
    2

  • 113301
    Some people age well my friend and some don't.  I think it's a combination of good genes and maybe taking care of yourself when younger by not overdoing booze/drugs/junk food. A little bit of luck doesn't hurt either. It's most noticeable to me with celebrities.  I always wonder why some "let themselves go" and become obese because they have the money to get the best nutritionists/trainers/plastic surgery. I think we should just be grateful we're here and mobile and have quality to our lives. Thank you for your reply Didge and Happy Tuesday! Go Roger! :) ((hugs))
      January 24, 2017 3:47 AM MST
    2

  • 53509
    I chose looking younger now at my current age over looking older than I when I was younger. In reality, that's where I've been my whole life; I've always looked between five to ten years younger than my actual age. It was sort of a curse as a young kid, because there were times when some people didn't take me seriously, I looked like a little kid and that's how they interacted with me. As a teen and a young adult, girls and women often dismissed me merely on looks. Now, however, looking younger than I really am pays off quite well.

    GREAT question, by the way!


    ~
      January 23, 2017 8:31 PM MST
    2

  • 113301
     Thank you for the compliment Randy. I looked older than my age when younger and now I am told I look younger. I'm 79 and when I tell people that they look shocked. Of course it could just be kindness on their part. People are generally very kind to me. Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
      January 24, 2017 3:49 AM MST
    2