I sometimes hear comments from people on this board that they feel as if they are still of a young generation (for example, a recent post – feel as if they are 18 even though they are over 60.)
I’d like to better understand what this means to those of you who feel a generation or two younger than your actual age.
I personally feel that decades of living put my fame of mind (not to mention the experience of living in my body) in a very different place from life at age 18.
I have certainly changed over the years- I like to think I have changed for the better. Started practicing yoga 8 years ago (I’m 65) and have been running 6.5 years so physically I am in good shape and comfortable in my own skin. In addition, I am actually much more open minded and less judgemental that I was when younger. I “know” myself better and embrace what makes me unique instead of trying to fit in or be someone I am not. So yes, I do feel as if I am a few decades younger than my actual age.
Some examples for me:
Physically, I feel as good or better than I did 23 years ago at 40 or so. I’m definitely in better shape and have better exercise endurance.
I didn’t attend but say pics of my 45 reunion last week - who were those people there? 75% of them looked in another generation of how I see myself when I look in the mirror. I cannot recognize hardly any of the men. No resemblance to their youth.
Frame of mind. I feel I think “younger” than many of my peers. I embrace social media channels for participation and for information. I see value in communicating with people this way.
I’m more open and informed politically and current event wise than I was at age 40, 30 or 20! It’s not because of more time, but more interest. I look to remain POSITIVE about world rather than many of my peers who seem to have fallen into that “back in the good old days…when we were kids…KIDS today…” - ugh, these are such turnoffs to me!
I could keep going. 
Thanks for the responses so far.
I can understand that one perhaps doesn’t identify with people of your own age – actually, I didn’t identify with people of my own age when I was 18. 
I guess it would depend on what your frame of mind is now vs then.
I definitely don’t feel 18, nor would I want to, but mentally I don’t feel that different from how I felt when I was 28 (pre-kids). My husband and I still like to go out to see music, though not as much during COVID and we don’t drink now. We still like to hike and travel to mountains, beaches, etc. I am probably more health conscious and eat better, but I’m not in better shape (though not in bad shape either, but I’m a walker, not a runner — never was a runner).
I think my mental outlook is not that different from when I was 28, really. No great transformations there. I am sure I have learned many things going through having kids and having them leave the nest and living through 3 of our 4 parents’ deaths. But the core of me doesn’t seem that different from what I remember of 28 year old me.
I am LOTS different than I was when I was 18. But even though I am now retired, I still joke that “I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up”.
My dad’s favorite song was Jimmy Buffet’s “I’m Growing Older but Not Up”. I think he kept that as his mantra.
I, too, am different from the person I was at 18 (how not?), but that is not what affects my mental picture/feel of myself. Feeling 18 (or whatever your youthful frozen age is) is not about the shape I’m in or the worldview I’ve formed over my lifetime. It’s about the fact that my internal spirit does not age. Only the mirror has the ability to momentarily surprise me. Otherwise, I’m young and ageless in my mind.
This topic is timely. We were having dinner with friends yesterday, and I said that I was looking forward to getting my left hip/knee replaced soon so I can go back to being 18.
This!
For some humor, there were fisticuffs between obese over fifty men playing recreational soccer last Sat. Very much like when I was 18, except we were not obese. After that, we all went to a nice microbrewery and ordered beers legally and were falling over each other to buy rounds. So, that was a bit different.
I tend to over think things more now because I have seen so many things go south. When I was young I was more stupid and fearless. Now I am wiser and more cautious.
At the same time, I am more comfortable with myself and more confident.
OP, I think those people just feel their souls are the same…the essence of their personalities. I think we all do. I was just i siting with a GF I’ve had since we 15. Yes, we have decades of life experience , but when we’re together, we were the same…maybe not as silly, but basically the same.
I feel like I actually look better than I did 25 years ago. So, when I get dressed up and go places, I feel great and flirty with the hubbie, just like a generation ago.
@oldfort, I miss being fearless. I was just thinking about that the other day, we were driving behind a truck full of logs and my mind went to the worst case scenario!
But, that said - I definitely don’t feel 18 but I also don’t feel all of my 53 years. I think my being gelled around 35. I still like most of those same things. I still love music and seek out live music. I still try to learn new things. When I notice I’m being resistant to things, like learning new tricks on the computer for work, I give myself a stern talking to. I tried to cut my hair and start dressing in a more “mature” fashion because I didn’t want to look like I was trying to “look young” when I’m not. But then I realized that my old style just suited me better. Like several of the posters - I’m in better shape now than I was…ever…and healthier in most ways, I don’t drink much anymore and I do yoga regularly now and that helps TREMENDOUSLY as far as feeling young. One thing that really makes you feel old is when you get up or down and wince and groan! If I do yoga once or twice a week I’m able to pop up and down and bend all over without making old person noises. I had been active with yoga but stopped for some reason and I don’t know why, it’s truly the best.
I have few friends who often tell me, “oh, I won’t do social media, do anything online, I want to talk to a real person.” To me, it just means they are afraid of technology, it’s not about not trusting technology. I tell them, “I do everything online and I haven’t had any issues.” My kids ask me sometimes what to do when it comes to their gadgets. My son-in-law competes with me as to who has a better TV and which internet provider is better.
I taught my mom how to do banking and trading online after my father passed away. She loves it and it gives her great independence.
I think in our life time there will be a lot more automations, if we do not keep up then we will be left behind and will need to rely on our kids to do things for us.
Oh I know I’m older and wiser and creakier, it’s just that I don’t really feel I know that much more. I’m constantly surprised that my whole life really isn’t before me. I thought I’d have accomplished more by now.
That said, while I’m a little heavier, I get more exercise than I did at 18, I certainly know a lot more. Interestingly I’ve moved politically to the left. @Poochie21 I like very gentle yoga, but the only injury I’ve ever gotten was from Yoga, pulled something in my chest from doing a cobra pose and it didn’t feel normal for over a year.
I feel way younger than I think that people my current age were when I was younger. I think the technology gap between a 50 yo and 20 yo is less than it was 30 years ago and that contributes to the change.