We have all different ages here on the forum (and for the most part we all get along). So what I want to know, is what age do you consider someone as being old?
I think it happens sometime in your fifties. Being "old’ at 50 lines-up pretty well for me because I’ll be 50 around the time my kid graduates high school. 50 sounds pretty old to me, but by the time you’re 50, you’ve only been an adult (like out of college, adult) for half that many years.
Even if you only count up to high school, adulthood years don’t start out-numbering childhood years until your mid 30s. Even worse, most people don’t really remember much before kindergarten, so that’s like 5 wasted years right there. Even if you’ve lived 25 years as a child and 25 years as an adult, you’ve really “lived” at least 5 more years as an adult in my opinion.
A simplified approach: you’re old once you hit 66% adulthood years and 33% childhood years. However you define adulthood vs childhood is up to you and your experiences.
My parents’ age, about 20 years older than me, now feels “old” to me. They didn’t always seem old
I spend much of my free activity time (not counting family time with my kids) with a much younger, active crowd. I don’t spend ANY time watching TV anymore and almost no time on social media (except Meh forums ), so my “age index” is a mixed bag.
/image mixed bag
/giphy mixed bag
A few days after I turned 30, I saw a post somewhere (Reddit, I think) that a person mentioned that they were 30 and I thought “wow, they’re old”. So I guess 30 is old!
@MrsBeckett I’d say 30 is old since we were born when people died by 75. With everyone cutting cigarettes and trans fats, we’ll call get closer to 85-90 before we croak. My grandpa recently died. My elderly grandma is now just cooking for herself (diabetic and celiac sufferer). She’s probably added 5 years worth of livin’ from probably just cutting all the butter out.
As I get older, I feel like the age I consider someone to be old, gets farther away. My mom is about to turn 60. I don’t feel like she’s old, even though she keeps complaining about how she’s old.
I run into people all the time that brag about their age, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc… And sometimes they look like they’re 60. It really warps my thinking about what’s old.
For me, I think it’s more the mentality. An older person that tells me that I ruined my body by tattooing my leg, seems older than someone the same age that’s more open minded.
I’m 33 and I wear jeans and t-shirts as my main clothes. My shirts are usually geeky or metal bands. My ex mother in law used to give me bedazzled shirts and cardigans to get me to “dress my age” when I was in my late twenties. I would give them to my mother.
I’m gonna be the weird old lady at the metal concerts or playing video games… But hopefully I won’t ever feel old.
I met a charming older woman WWII veteran who was in the Australian Air Force as radio operator on a bomber. She told me she was “shot down twice: once hard, once wet.” She married an American pilot who went off on secret missions. Being a guy who writes stuff, I suggested her stories would make a good little book. She replied, “No, my life would read like a cheap novel.” Now THAT’s my kind of gal!!!
When I was younger, I thought 50+ was old. But, the older I get (35 now) the older someone has to be for me to think of them as old. My mom’s getting ready to turn 70 (wtf? when did that happen?) She’s not old. She gets out and mows her grass, tends to her flower gardens and feeds her birds regularly. She drives three hours north to see me and the kids five or six times a year. I don’t consider 70 old. My aunts and uncles that are still alive are in their late 70s and early 80s. When I see them, they definitely don’t seem old because other than a few minor ailments, for the most part, they’re all fairly active. One uncle is in his 80s and finally agreed to stop climbing trees two weeks ago when he passed out after coming down from one and was doing the job alone. He had a heart blockage and is fine, but it finally scared him enough to make him give up the side jobs he’s kept since turning the business over to his sons. Anyway, so I guess maybe you’re old once you’re in your 90s?
@eeterrific Not quite accurate; I can remember how I got this high mileage, and it was a LOT of fun. Remember, kids, if you’re going to wander all over Europe, do it before you’re 40, because you slow down then.
@OldCatLady Don’t know if you’d slow down, but I do know I spent my 20’s working on tall ships, working in Europe, walking to youth hostels 3+ miles from the train station carrying a 60+ pound pack. If I were to do it now that pack would not weight 60 pounds. LOL
At 69 my body has begun having some annoying pains and difficulties, but I don’t feel old. A very old woman once told my kid sister that you’re not really old till your kid goes on medicare. That would make me officially old at 89. Maybe, maybe not. Have to wait and see.
@edlada When the McDonald’s near me opened a drive thru lane, I thought, “What a dumb idea”. I also thought self service gas would never work. Don’t ever listen to me when it comes to innovations. (I’m not saying drive thru lanes or self serve gas are good ideas.)
I just turned 29, and while i dont feel like im old, i certainly don’t feel 29. My likes, hobbies, and ideas of fun have changed, but I still feel like I did mentally when I was 20. I have a feeling that ill never FEEL old until I lose the ability to walk/exercise.
When the ratio of your number of living friends to dead friends is less than one, you are old. But so long as you have at least one living friend, you are never TOO old.
@Barney I’m too old to have any internet friends. All of my friends come over and drink and eat and talk and do stuff together and have fun, even with no power.
A month ago, I got promoted to an honest-to-god office job, with a phone and a computer and a door with my name on it. Two weeks ago, I got married. This morning, I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like a grownup looking back at me for maybe the first time ever.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. My folks were married young (as compared to my contemporary peers) and I’m the first born. I’ll be 40 this year. I am nearly the same age my father was when I got my first career-job in software. I see 20-25 year old “kids” being hired at my company. Our fathers are often about the same age.
Working in healthcare makes you realize there is no good answer to this question. I’ve had 20 something patients who are as decrepit as what you would expect at 90. I’ve had 80+ year old patients with more spunk and vitality than I seem to have most days.
I do a lot of nuclear stress tests. Once upon a time I had an inpatient, 77 or 78 years old scheduled for a treadmill stress test. Typically at that age we do pharmacological tests to stress the heart as they’re unable to get up to speed on a treadmill. The test requires the patient to reach a target heart rate based upon their age. This patient came down on a stretcher, looking rather tired and lacking energy. We thought she’d have trouble actually getting out of bed, let alone moving on the treadmill. Stress tests have a protocol where every 3 minutes the treadmill goes higher and faster. The first stage is 1.7 mph with a 10% grade. This patient slowly got out of bed and on to the treadmill. We start the test and she’s keeping up well enough. We’re keeping our hopes up that she’ll make it long enough to reach her target. Second stage kicks in - 2.5 mph at 12% grade. She keeps up and we’re all looking a bit surprised. Meanwhile her heart rate is climbing slower than expected, which typically means it’s quite healthy. Third stage arrives - 3.4 mph at 14% grade. The average person walks about 3 mph on flat surfaces and our average patient lasts for 5 to 6 minutes on the treadmill. This patient is now starting her 6th minute. Looking more and more comfortable she’s starting to find her pace. Nine minute mark, it’s on to the 4th stage - 4.2 mph at 16% grade. Most 30 year olds are about to collapse at this point. We’re all looking like a bunch of shocked morons with our chins hanging down to the floor. This woman is positively kicking ass. I’d have been long since done. We reach the 5th stage which starts at the 12 minute mark. 5 mph at an 18% grade. This is running up a rather steep hill. The maximum grade for roads tends to be limited to around 10%. She reached her target heart rate somewhere around 11 minutes but she’s going strong so we push it. She makes it to almost 13 minutes before she’s finally worn out and we stop the test. Completely dumbfounded we ask her what her secret is. Turns out she grew up in a small village in Africa where they simply ran from place to place. She retained that fitness level her entire life. The only patient I’ve ever had go longer was a 28 year old long distance runner who had a resting heart rate around 35 bpm. Without a doubt, she was the most memorable patient I’ve ever had the pleasure of being embarrassed by.
TL;DR: Old woman kicks some treadmill ass. Sometimes young is old and old is young.
@cinoclav Wife’s friend from high school had a long-distance runner do a stress test at ~40 and he died on the treadmill. I was EXTRA STRESSED when I did mine three years ago as a result, but was happy to have made it to the 7 minute mark, lazy slug that I am.
27
@Ignorant Not even a prime number.
@Barney ehem. How dare you leave out the final pun?!
Not even a prime number, how odd.
@chacham Oops, my bad.
Double my age, minus ten. Not sure what to do once that gets outside of the range of human existence.
@dave That must be shocking for a 10 year old to hear.
I just had a kid. I just realized my mom, his grandma, is older than my grandma, my dads mom, was when I was his age. It put me in a tail spin.
But you’re old enough if you’re paying your own rent.
@vanslaterco Just don’t think about it. It’ll drive you crazy.
I will be 39 in August. For me, that is old, for everyone else, that is fairly young.
Twenty years older than me. I’m only old when it’s to my advantage.
I don’t care about my age, even if I do carry an AARP card.
@mfladd I’ll see your AARP and raise you a Medicare card. And I define old as “someone my age”
@rockblossom I’ll see your hand and raise you a cataract lens implant ID card.
If you were to double my age, and add twice the value of the first digit in my age to that sum, then you have my definition of “old”.
in 40 years, i’ll be old. then again, i’ll probably be dead as well, so…
@carl669 I thought I’d die young, but now I’m too old. I guess that’s another thing I can add to the list of things I’ve screwed up in my life.
@Barney only the good die young, so you’ve obviously lived a life worth living.
@Barney
Purple screwups are just fine.
I think it happens sometime in your fifties. Being "old’ at 50 lines-up pretty well for me because I’ll be 50 around the time my kid graduates high school. 50 sounds pretty old to me, but by the time you’re 50, you’ve only been an adult (like out of college, adult) for half that many years.
Even if you only count up to high school, adulthood years don’t start out-numbering childhood years until your mid 30s. Even worse, most people don’t really remember much before kindergarten, so that’s like 5 wasted years right there. Even if you’ve lived 25 years as a child and 25 years as an adult, you’ve really “lived” at least 5 more years as an adult in my opinion.
A simplified approach: you’re old once you hit 66% adulthood years and 33% childhood years. However you define adulthood vs childhood is up to you and your experiences.
@medz you had me at ‘i think it happens’
My parents’ age, about 20 years older than me, now feels “old” to me. They didn’t always seem old
I spend much of my free activity time (not counting family time with my kids) with a much younger, active crowd. I don’t spend ANY time watching TV anymore and almost no time on social media (except Meh forums
), so my “age index” is a mixed bag.
/image mixed bag
/giphy mixed bag
@compunaut
/image paper bag on head
@compunaut
/image bag of crap
My birthday is coming up in two weeks. I will be old.
/giphy old age
Well, everything doesn’t hurt, and dying is relative. In truth, I don’t even feel like a grown-up.
@KDemo I don’t want to grow up either.
A few days after I turned 30, I saw a post somewhere (Reddit, I think) that a person mentioned that they were 30 and I thought “wow, they’re old”. So I guess 30 is old!
@MrsBeckett I’d say 30 is old since we were born when people died by 75. With everyone cutting cigarettes and trans fats, we’ll call get closer to 85-90 before we croak. My grandpa recently died. My elderly grandma is now just cooking for herself (diabetic and celiac sufferer). She’s probably added 5 years worth of livin’ from probably just cutting all the butter out.
I’m old.
As I get older, I feel like the age I consider someone to be old, gets farther away. My mom is about to turn 60. I don’t feel like she’s old, even though she keeps complaining about how she’s old.
I run into people all the time that brag about their age, 70s, 80s, 90s, etc… And sometimes they look like they’re 60. It really warps my thinking about what’s old.
For me, I think it’s more the mentality. An older person that tells me that I ruined my body by tattooing my leg, seems older than someone the same age that’s more open minded.
I’m 33 and I wear jeans and t-shirts as my main clothes. My shirts are usually geeky or metal bands. My ex mother in law used to give me bedazzled shirts and cardigans to get me to “dress my age” when I was in my late twenties. I would give them to my mother.
I’m gonna be the weird old lady at the metal concerts or playing video games… But hopefully I won’t ever feel old.
@RiotDemon
@RiotDemon I like your point of view!
@RiotDemon
I’m looking forward to learning to spit. I’ve got the purple part down pretty good.
@Barney hmmm, 3 lbs of sausage at a time, that’s something new to look forward to.
i did recently start to take home beer mat from the local micro-brewery - maybe that’s a sign i am already getting on in age?
@Barney Oh, hell, kiddo. You knew how to spit when you were two – you just forgot about it.
@Barney
/youtube Start Wearing Purple
@lisaviolet You’re a rock star!
@2many2no Earworm!
i cared for an old person afflicted ALZ. he became young again by losing his recent memories.
i agree with @lisaviolet, old is someone 20 years older than me - if they don’t exist in my life, i am old.
if i get ALZ, i am young again, and i hope my kids respect my wishes.
@Yoda_Daenerys How old was this old person?
@Barney start 83, end 88, but his memories were primarily from 15-35 i would guess
Age is a state of mind. I know some young 88 year olds and some old folks who are barely 45
@readnj True, but eventually the body breaks down.
Old is a state of mind
@Cerridwyn Which state? I’m thinking Nebraska.
@Barney I think the oldest state is Delaware, but perhaps it is still young at heart.
@rockblossom So, what did Della wear?
@Barney Virginieee
@Barney A New Jersey!
58
@lisameh Are you saying 58 is old?
@lisameh I just know you didn’t say 58 was old!
My Dad is 90 (and 1/2!)
@lisameh How is his health?
“Those who mock old people are slashing their own tires.”
I met a charming older woman WWII veteran who was in the Australian Air Force as radio operator on a bomber. She told me she was “shot down twice: once hard, once wet.” She married an American pilot who went off on secret missions. Being a guy who writes stuff, I suggested her stories would make a good little book. She replied, “No, my life would read like a cheap novel.” Now THAT’s my kind of gal!!!
When I was younger, I thought 50+ was old. But, the older I get (35 now) the older someone has to be for me to think of them as old. My mom’s getting ready to turn 70 (wtf? when did that happen?) She’s not old. She gets out and mows her grass, tends to her flower gardens and feeds her birds regularly. She drives three hours north to see me and the kids five or six times a year. I don’t consider 70 old. My aunts and uncles that are still alive are in their late 70s and early 80s. When I see them, they definitely don’t seem old because other than a few minor ailments, for the most part, they’re all fairly active. One uncle is in his 80s and finally agreed to stop climbing trees two weeks ago when he passed out after coming down from one and was doing the job alone. He had a heart blockage and is fine, but it finally scared him enough to make him give up the side jobs he’s kept since turning the business over to his sons. Anyway, so I guess maybe you’re old once you’re in your 90s?
@PurplePawprints I really don’t have a clue.
@PurplePawprints @Barney If you’re not old tho in your 80s, you’re living an exceptional life
/giphy exceptional life
Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.
@eeterrific Gee, I guess that’s something to look forward to.
@eeterrific Not quite accurate; I can remember how I got this high mileage, and it was a LOT of fun. Remember, kids, if you’re going to wander all over Europe, do it before you’re 40, because you slow down then.
@OldCatLady Some people don’t slow down until later (say 50), but your point is still valid: DON’T WAIT
/image don’t wait
@OldCatLady Don’t know if you’d slow down, but I do know I spent my 20’s working on tall ships, working in Europe, walking to youth hostels 3+ miles from the train station carrying a 60+ pound pack. If I were to do it now that pack would not weight 60 pounds. LOL
@eeterrific “You never slow down, you never grow old”
@Kidsandliz Now that’s the way to spend your 20s! All the lightweight gear was invented by wimps, and does nothing to build up muscles.
Once you stop learning new things.
At 69 my body has begun having some annoying pains and difficulties, but I don’t feel old. A very old woman once told my kid sister that you’re not really old till your kid goes on medicare. That would make me officially old at 89. Maybe, maybe not. Have to wait and see.
Billions and billions.
@f00l
@Barney
Was thinking of Carl Sagan, but McD will do fine.
@f00l Yeah, I know that’s what you were thinking, so I just had to post Mickey D’s.
@Barney I am old enough to remember when those signs had an actual number on them. And that number wasn’t very large. However:
@edlada When the McDonald’s near me opened a drive thru lane, I thought, “What a dumb idea”. I also thought self service gas would never work. Don’t ever listen to me when it comes to innovations. (I’m not saying drive thru lanes or self serve gas are good ideas.)
“Old” is mostly a frame of mind, tempered by how much abuse and for how long your body has endured it.
But mostly it is a frame of mind.
I imagine that frame of mind part deteriorates in parallel to the percentage of time one spends thinking about “the end”.
I was my very oldest when I was 12. I’ve been youthing ever since.
Depends on how the day goes.
@Mehrocco_Mole You made me cry. It’s REALLY hard to make me cry. I will miss him. I’ll even miss me.
I just turned 29, and while i dont feel like im old, i certainly don’t feel 29. My likes, hobbies, and ideas of fun have changed, but I still feel like I did mentally when I was 20. I have a feeling that ill never FEEL old until I lose the ability to walk/exercise.
When the ratio of your number of living friends to dead friends is less than one, you are old. But so long as you have at least one living friend, you are never TOO old.
@Marion14505 Do internet friends count?
@Barney I’m too old to have any internet friends. All of my friends come over and drink and eat and talk and do stuff together and have fun, even with no power.
@Marion14505 You can hang out here and we can become your internet friends.
Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.
I have kids older than me.
/youtube What’s my age again?
@2many2no “I’ll mature when I’m dead.”
@2many2no My ring tone is Jimmy Buffett’s “I’m Growing Older but Not Up” Sums it up perfectly!
@2many2no Yes!!! I knew I liked you for a reason
About 20 years older than I am.
@Kevin
I’m 34.
A month ago, I got promoted to an honest-to-god office job, with a phone and a computer and a door with my name on it. Two weeks ago, I got married. This morning, I looked in the mirror and saw what looked like a grownup looking back at me for maybe the first time ever.
I think I’m old now.
@dannybeans Pffft. Then you could very well be old for another 50 years, sonny
“It’s not the years, it’s the miles.”
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. My folks were married young (as compared to my contemporary peers) and I’m the first born. I’ll be 40 this year. I am nearly the same age my father was when I got my first career-job in software. I see 20-25 year old “kids” being hired at my company. Our fathers are often about the same age.
Working in healthcare makes you realize there is no good answer to this question. I’ve had 20 something patients who are as decrepit as what you would expect at 90. I’ve had 80+ year old patients with more spunk and vitality than I seem to have most days.
I do a lot of nuclear stress tests. Once upon a time I had an inpatient, 77 or 78 years old scheduled for a treadmill stress test. Typically at that age we do pharmacological tests to stress the heart as they’re unable to get up to speed on a treadmill. The test requires the patient to reach a target heart rate based upon their age. This patient came down on a stretcher, looking rather tired and lacking energy. We thought she’d have trouble actually getting out of bed, let alone moving on the treadmill. Stress tests have a protocol where every 3 minutes the treadmill goes higher and faster. The first stage is 1.7 mph with a 10% grade. This patient slowly got out of bed and on to the treadmill. We start the test and she’s keeping up well enough. We’re keeping our hopes up that she’ll make it long enough to reach her target. Second stage kicks in - 2.5 mph at 12% grade. She keeps up and we’re all looking a bit surprised. Meanwhile her heart rate is climbing slower than expected, which typically means it’s quite healthy. Third stage arrives - 3.4 mph at 14% grade. The average person walks about 3 mph on flat surfaces and our average patient lasts for 5 to 6 minutes on the treadmill. This patient is now starting her 6th minute. Looking more and more comfortable she’s starting to find her pace. Nine minute mark, it’s on to the 4th stage - 4.2 mph at 16% grade. Most 30 year olds are about to collapse at this point. We’re all looking like a bunch of shocked morons with our chins hanging down to the floor. This woman is positively kicking ass. I’d have been long since done. We reach the 5th stage which starts at the 12 minute mark. 5 mph at an 18% grade. This is running up a rather steep hill. The maximum grade for roads tends to be limited to around 10%. She reached her target heart rate somewhere around 11 minutes but she’s going strong so we push it. She makes it to almost 13 minutes before she’s finally worn out and we stop the test. Completely dumbfounded we ask her what her secret is. Turns out she grew up in a small village in Africa where they simply ran from place to place. She retained that fitness level her entire life. The only patient I’ve ever had go longer was a 28 year old long distance runner who had a resting heart rate around 35 bpm. Without a doubt, she was the most memorable patient I’ve ever had the pleasure of being embarrassed by.
TL;DR: Old woman kicks some treadmill ass. Sometimes young is old and old is young.
@cinoclav Very nice. I hope people take the time to read the long version and not just the Reader’s Digest Condensed.
@cinoclav Wife’s friend from high school had a long-distance runner do a stress test at ~40 and he died on the treadmill. I was EXTRA STRESSED when I did mine three years ago as a result, but was happy to have made it to the 7 minute mark, lazy slug that I am.
I have it on good authority (my mother) that you aren’t old until you are 104.
Age is just a number. And mine is unlisted.
“You never slow down, you never grow old”
@beachbum Hey ya, beachbum, I’ve missed you.
@Barney Awww, shucks! How is your purple self?
@beachbum
Just hanging in there.
@Barney Those are the sweetest little faces!
So, if you are a female who is 50, don’t feel bad. To me, you are a younger woman!