How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
– Satchel Paige
There is a special kind of person in our world who finds herself alone and isolated, almost since birth.
Her solitary existence isn’t from a preference or an antisocial temperament – she is simply old. Old in heart, old in mind, and old in soul, this person is an old soul who finds her outlook on life vastly different and more ripened than those around her.
As a result, the old soul lives her life internally, walking her own solitary path while the rest around her flock to follow another.
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Perhaps you’ve experienced this in your own life, or have witnessed it in another person? If so, this article is dedicated to you, in hopes that you will come to define yourself or understand another better.
(✬ By the way, if you’d like to go deeper into this topic after reading this article, check out our Old Souls Bundle for more support, insight, and guidance!)
Table of contents
What is an Old Soul?
Quite simply, an Old Soul is a person who feels much older than their age reflects. This feeling is often accompanied by the gift of empathy, high intelligence, intuition, and keen insight into the human condition.
Old Souls are often outsiders looking in, they feel as though they don’t “belong” in this world, or this period of time. As a result, most Old Souls long for a sense of true meaning, purpose and inner fulfillment that money, power, and success can’t achieve. This longing is often described as the thirst to “return back home.”
There are two major types of Old Souls: those that are born with the sensation of being “different,” and those who “grow into” becoming Old Souls through the process of spiritual awakening. We’ll explore Old Souls and spiritual awakening more a little later.
17 Signs You’re An Old Soul
Robert Frost, Eckhart Tolle, Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, and even Nick Jonas have been called Old Souls. Perhaps even you have?
If you have not yet discovered whether you’re an Old Soul, read some of the revealing signs below:
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1# You tend to be a lone wolf
Because Old Souls are disinterested in the pursuits and interests of the people in their age groups, they find it dissatisfying to make friends with people they find hard to relate to. This sense of alienation is one of the major problems Old Souls experience. The result is that Old Souls tend to find themselves alone a lot of the time. They struggle to connect deeply with others because most other people don’t have the same interests or values as them.
2# You love knowledge, wisdom, and truth
This might seem a little highbrow, but the Old Soul finds herself naturally gravitating towards the intellectual side of life. Old Souls inherently understand that knowledge is power, wisdom is happiness, and truth is freedom, so why not seek after those things? These pursuits are more meaningful to them than reading up on the latest gossip about the Kardashians or the latest football scores.
3# You’re spiritually inclined
Old Souls tend to have sensitive and spiritual natures. Experiencing a spiritual awakening, overcoming the confines of the ego, seeking spiritual enlightenment and self-realization, and fostering love and peace are often at the core of the Old Soul’s ultimate quest in life.
4# You understand the transience of life
Old Souls are frequently plagued with reminders of their own mortality and that of everything and everyone around them. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the old soul to have multiple existential crises throughout life, especially during difficult situations that highlight the impermanence of existence. Being very perceptive and sensitive toward the reality of death, old souls choose to live their lives differently. Every decision counts.
5# You’re thoughtful and introspective
Old Souls tend to think a lot … about everything. It’s crucial for an old soul to get enough space and time to reflect, introspect, and develop more self-awareness. This natural tendency toward rumination helps them to quickly learn from their actions and understand the people and environments around them. Many Old Souls practice a natural form of shadow work in which they are constantly reflecting on how they could do better, prevent their issues from getting bigger, and create more inner harmony.
6# You see the bigger picture
Old Souls dislike getting lost in the superficial details of gaining useless degrees, job promotions, social prestige, and better iPhones. Instead, Old Souls prefer to look at life from a birds-eye perspective, striving to find the wisest and most meaningful way of living and using their time. After all, life can end at any moment, so why waste time on trivial details?
7# You aren’t materialistic
Wealth, status, fame, and the latest tech gadget … Old Souls take little interest in these things. After all, what’s the point of seeking these socially paraded goals if they can easily be taken away? What’s the point if the fulfillment isn’t long-lasting or soul-enriching?
8# You were a strange, socially maladaptive kid
This is not always the case, but many Old Souls exhibit odd signs of maturity at young ages. Often, these children are labeled as being “precocious,” “introverted,” or “rebellious,” failing to fit into the mainstream behaviors. Usually, these children are extremely inquisitive and intelligent, seeing the purposelessness of many things their teachers, parents, and peers say and do, and either passively or aggressively resist them. If you can talk to your child like s/he’s an adult – you’ve probably got an Old Soul on your hands.
9# You’ve undergone an existential crisis
It’s common for Old Souls to ask deep and penetrating questions about life in their search for love, truth, and freedom. This quest to live a meaningful existence inevitably means that they will, sooner or later, experience an existential crisis. An existential crisis is what happens when a person starts to see through the lies and delusions within society. They may wonder what life is really about, whether they have a true purpose, and start to think about the human condition more. Is life just a product of chance? What’s the point of everything I’ve done? What is all this about, anyway? These are the types of questions Old Souls ask during the existential crisis.
10# You see life through a poetic/contemplative lens
Old Souls take time to enjoy life – they see things that others don’t see. Take nature for example: an Old Soul will enjoy the way the wind dances through the trees – while someone else may just walk straight by, disinterested or blind to the simple beauty before them. Old Souls also take time to contemplate life. The smile and laughter of a child is something to stop and savor. The striking beauty of a piece of art is something to ponder. The words of a great writer are something to meditate on (see Lectio Divina). There is so much in life to stop, appreciate, and reflect on.
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11# You tend to overthink everything
While Old Souls are contemplative types of people, this can also prove to be a painful and challenging quality. For instance, most Old Souls struggle with the curse of overthinking practically everything. Choosing from a menu at a cafe, for example, can be a strangely painstaking experience. (There are so many options! Which is the right one? What would taste the best? What is the most ethical? What is the best value for money? What is right for this time of the day? etc.) Social situations are no better, which leads to the next point …
12# You struggle with anxiety in social situations
Put the tendency to overthink everything alongside conscientiousness and strong empathy, and you have a recipe for social anxiety. Throw in a little bit of eccentricity (i.e., not sharing the same interests as most people) and we have an unavoidable tendency towards lingering social discomfort. Although many Old Souls are confident, calm, and self-possessed people, social situations are complex and tiring. There are so many elements to consider (fragile egos, etiquette, boundaries, reciprocity, unspoken but obvious insecurities, etc.) that they often prefer just being left by themselves. With that being said, when Old Souls do find someone they connect with or find interesting, they tend to form strong and intense connections quite quickly. It’s one of the greatest joys of life to find fellow kindred spirits.
13# You easily fall into the role of advisor or counselor
People flock to Old Souls for advice like a moth drawn to a flame. Attracted to their level-headedness and wisdom, it’s common for family members, friends, and workplaces to naturally position the Old Soul as advice-giver. While most Old Souls don’t mind this, it’s common for them to feel inundated and overwhelmed by the magnitude of other’s problems. Even so, Old Souls enjoy helping others. It’s more of a pleasure (than a burden) to give guidance to those in need.
14# You enjoy the company of those much older than you
Old Souls tend to make friends with older folks way more often than younger people (including those of the same age). There is something so down-to-earth, engaging, and layered about those who have been around much longer than the rest. Besides, it’s comforting being around those whose external energy matches the Old Soul’s internal energy. There’s something compatible there. No need to go running around like a headless chicken to parties, concerts, and what have you. Instead, Old Souls can enjoy sitting around a fire or lounging on the patio chairs, having a good old-fashion talk and exchanging stories.
15# You crave simplicity
In some areas of life, Old Souls respect and even like complexity. But overall, what most Old Souls crave deep down is simplicity. There is a certain purity, beauty, and Zen-like appeal in the simple life. Some Old Souls may find themselves drawn toward minimalism, while others may take a minimalistic attitude toward everyday responsibilities and other pursuits. The Old Soul’s thirst for simplicity is very much connected to their love of heart, soul, and essence. Whatever is true and worthy can easily be found in simplicity.
16# You’re attracted to all things vintage
While this might not be the case for all Old Souls, many find themselves drawn toward old music, old furniture, old architecture, old books, old clothing – really, anything old. Some Old Souls feel more at home in bygone eras (18th-century horse and carriage, 1920’s jazz, etc.), while others have an appreciation for even older cultures (e.g., shamanic and tribal periods).
17# You just “feel” old inside
Throw away the ‘Old Soul’ label for a moment and focus on how you feel inside. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? Those who realize that they feel much older than their age reflects are often Old Souls at heart.
Common feelings that accompany being an Old Soul usually include a feeling of world wariness, mental tiredness, inquisitiveness, watchful patience, and the sensation of being an “outsider looking in.”
More In-Depth Help
Want to learn more about being an Old Soul? In my book Old Souls: The Sages and Mystics of Our World, I give more in-depth guidance:
Have You Experienced Spiritual Awakening as an Old Soul?
Almost every Old Soul, to some extent, has undergone a process of spiritual awakening.
Spiritual awakenings are periods in our lives when we feel lost, confused, and alienated from others and society’s rules, expectations, beliefs, and values.
The spiritual awakening process is a painful and often traumatic experience involving the complete disintegration of our former habits, perceptions, and even life goals. Often, the result of such an experience is fear, confusion, depression, anxiety, and social alienation for years on end. However, despite such devastation, the spiritual awakening process is ultimately a liberating experience after we have gone through the fires of rebirth.
You might be wondering what triggers the spiritual awakening process …
Well, usually the spiritual awakening process arises in a person’s life during major life events such as marriage, divorce, child-bearing, death, illness, and tragedy. However, spiritual awakenings can also be completely spontaneous, arising as a natural result of life experience – or in the Old Soul’s case, soulful maturity.
The inevitable product of going through a spiritual awakening process is soulfully maturing. The more we come to see through the illusions and deceptions of society, the more we direct our search for true happiness and fulfillment within ourselves. The deeper we search, the closer we connect with our Souls, which are the ultimate sources of our joy and peace.
Old Souls are people who are conscious of the Soul’s existence and actively work to reconnect with it again. In this sense, the term “Old Soul” is metaphorical rather than literal, indicating a matured and ripened relationship with the Soul or True Self. A Young Soul, on the other hand, is a person who hasn’t yet experienced a deep connection with their Souls, or Higher Selves. They remain like a young flower bud: tight and closed.
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However, it’s important to realize that not every Old Soul has a working connection with the Soul. After undergoing a process of spiritual awakening, it is common to become so absorbed in the suffering of the world and other personal issues, that a connection to the Soul is “lost.” While the Old Soul may be aware of a profoundly divine presence within them and existence, they are not able to sustain a connection with it. This experience is known as The Dark Night of the Soul.
Old Souls and Inner work
Instinctually, Old Souls know that life is one great spiritual journey towards inner Wholeness. As a result, most Old Souls spend their lives seeking that which will bring them true self-fulfillment or self-actualization.
The most vital practice to incorporate into your life as an Old Soul, and indeed as any person, is inner work.
Inner work is the practice of working to reconnect with your Soul – it is not limited to any particular religious or spiritual doctrine but embraces all paths.
Essentially, any practice which helps you to become conscious of the eternal and unchanging presence within you that is your Soul is helpful. We have dedicated this website to helping you explore various techniques and sacred inner work practices out there that aid soulful maturing. You can read more about Inner work here.
Illuminated Souls
Once an Old Soul has learned how to reconnect with and embody the Soul, they enter a new level of spiritual advancement. We refer to this level as the Illuminated Soul stage.
Illuminated Souls are awakened beings who have been freed from the dualistic mind that is at the root of all suffering (read more about the mind and ego for more understanding). Common Illuminated Souls that we know of include figures such as the Buddha, Basho, Krishnamurti, Meher Baba, Mahavira, Gangaji, Eckhart Tolle, Mooji, Unmani, and many others.
You can read more about Illuminated Souls in my Old Souls book.
Old Soul FAQ
Here are some common questions people ask about Old Souls:
There are many approaches to discovering the age of your soul – it all depends on your personal beliefs and preferences. One way to discover the age of your soul is through a deep guided visualization where you seek out your core essence. You could use imagery such as ascending to the heavens, descending into a deep tunnel and finding ‘the light,’ or moving through a labyrinth toward the center where your Soul resides. Other methods include mirror work, soul gazing (with another person), dream work, meditation, and using plant medicines. However, the question must be asked, why do you want to discover your soul’s age? How will it ultimately help you? And how can you know for sure that you’ve found the right answer? These are important questions to explore as they will help you to use your time and energy wisely.
Old Souls are relatively rare and compose a small percentage of the world’s population. Some speculate that Old Souls compose around 10% of the world’s population. However, this number is not exact or proven. Regardless of that fact, Old Souls are not common in today’s society.
An Old Soul is a person who feels much older than their age reflects. This feeling is often accompanied by the gift of empathy, high intelligence, intuition, and keen insight into the human condition.
Pay attention to the following signs:
1. You have a preference for solitude
2. You’re sensitive and empathic
3. You have a profound understanding of human nature
4. You have the ability to deeply introspect
5. You tend to experience a lot of psychological tiredness
6. You’re disinterested in worldly achievements or status
7. You have an inclination towards spirituality
8. You have a mystical approach to life
9. You thirst for truth and wisdom
***
What makes one person wise beyond their years, and another, young at heart?
What makes one person awaken to the desire for spiritual fulfillment and self-love, and another person to the desire to content themselves with material gain and social status? The answer is the age (or level of development) of their Soul.
If you’re an Old Soul, you will likely feel alienated in society, but you’ll also be able to live a truly unique and meaningful life. There are blessings and curses that accompany this way of being, but most of all, I hope you know that you’re not alone and there are others like you.
Are you an old soul? I’d love to hear your stories below.
We also have an Old Soul Test which you might wish to take.
If you need more help, we offer 3 powerful ways to guide you on your inner journey:
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Absolutely true about me. I wish I read this earlier. It all makes sense now…
I am 22 years old and I constantly watch my friends talk about their drunken nights and I wonder how anyone could ever have fun. I always found myself home every night and I felt so much peace sitting alone in my home. I never really knew what was wrong with me. My mom always lectured me about not experiencing life, but I don’t experience it like my peers. It’s crazy when I find myself in a place were their are hundred of people buzzing around me, I instantly panic and feel more alone then ever. I never knew what my problem was until my teacher and mentor mentioned that I was an old soulThank you for the article it’s really helped me put things in perspective.
Bonnie, I can’t imagine the sense of alienation you must have felt. I’ve always been an outsider looking in, but never an outsider looking out in these situations. This reminds me of my experience with clubs, casinos and strip clubs earlier this year and last. I had never been to any before so I thought “hey! Let’s give it a try. At the very least it will be an interesting learning experience”. Oh boy was it! The things you hear and see in these sorts of environments is fascinating, but quite depressing when you have no interest in them, or see the pointlessness of them. The most notable feeling is the sense of wariness, the sense of just wanting to go home and be by yourself because you’re too tired with people and too tired with the world.
Feel free to join the Old Soul group on facebook as well, it’s nice to know you’re not alone sometimes. Thanks very much for reading!
Luna can you please paste a link for old soul group??
i cant find any.
thanks
For the longest time I thought I was crazy, but when random people come to you out of nowhere telling you your an empath and old soul and you somehow recognize them I realized who I was. But im at a point in my life where im tired of trying, and my heart feels empty, I really just want to give up this time. Do u have any advice?
Hello boo909. Firstly, it’s a good idea to ask yourself why you’re ‘tired of trying’. Tired of trying for what? Acceptance, meaning, purpose, happiness? My advice is to ask ‘why’, and this will help you to get to the root of your problem. It’s a simple method, but one I find to be extremely effective. Good luck. :)
This article describes me perfectly, I have always felt different than my peers. Upon discovering your website I have learned why, thank you. But living as an introvert and old soul in high school is interesting, I have had experiences, that other people my age find fun, but to me they are not. Dances, they are not fun because to me I have a certain bubble around me, being as I am already not a social person, their invasion of that space is extremely uncomfortable.
When I was younger people always said how I was more mature than other children, I didn’t complain about materialistic things as a child would. I have always maintained a different viewpoint on life than others, when you see boring old nature, I see a complex structure of a whole new world. When others are enjoying their massive new iPhone, I see a waste of $300 a month on a phone bill, when mine does the same for 5% the cost.
Tyler, it can be such a challenging thing to go through high school as an old soul. On one hand you feel alienated, but on the other people can appreciate you for being the quiet, level-headed person who brings a mature and calming presence to the crowd. It’s interesting how many times I’ve read fellow old soul’s adopting a mask to get through these kind of life circumstances, and if you haven’t already I’m intrigued! I’ve always wondered whether it’s possible to go through certain places, like high school, completely without wearing a mask.
My hope is that, if you haven’t already, you can eventually find a similar soul who appreciates your depth. Thanks very much for reading and sharing your experience.
Hi, just came across the site (you guys create some quality articles!) and this article really resonated with me. Often times I look at what people my age do, or are interested in, and find myself sighing and shaking my head at the inanity of it. I usually think to myself, in a somewhat ironic somewhat sarcastic way, that I’m too old.
This article reminded me of a conversation I had back when I was in the 4th Grade. During recess (it wasn’t technically recess but more of a “go run around outside” time without any equipment) my class was walking around a school playground and I was walking alongside my teacher. I don’t remember what prompted it, but during the walk I said to my teacher “Why do people spend so much money on expensive cars? I mean all cars do the same thing and that’s to take people from place to place. Spending so much money to get fancy cars seems like a waste when you can get a much cheaper car to do the same thing. It doesn’t make any sense.” Such a precocious little scamp! Back then it was relaxing and easy to converse with adults. Needless to say I was regarded as a reserved kid, but looking back now I imagine that not being able to talk about what I found interesting with my peers was a big part of that. Eventually I learned how to ‘act like an idiot’ during middle school as a reverse way to let other people drop their guard around me but it was never fulfilling.
Of course that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy my own fair share of society’s trivialities, which I’m ashamed that I do, and I do oh so love ‘stupid’ jokes and the like, but overall I’ve kept a consistent,almost weary outlook on life.
As an end to my self-flattery, I’m curious (article suggestion) as to what you guys think about the relationship between introverts (loners, socially anxious types, or what have you) and the relatively new internet phenomenon of social media (facebook, twitter, etc.). Can introverts thrive unabated in a social media environment, or is it their natural enemy?
I really appreciate your comment YJohnD.
One of the greatest rewards in writing articles like these is to connect with like-minded people, and ironically not feel so lonely. So thanks for sharing some of your story and outlook with me!
A lot of what you’ve written reminds me of my own time back in childhood. Lately I’ve even experimented with going to nightclubs and other “people my age” things, just to get a feel of what the experience is like. Nightclubs, I learnt, are loud, overly crowded places, with the unbearably overhanging smell of alcohol in the air, along with sweat and hormones. But they do serve their own purpose. It’s funny how much of an outsider you can feel surrounded by people your age (acting out their primal, primitive urges) and even just talking to them.
But it was good to first experience something I judged harshly was like and add another well-rounded dimension to my life.
Thanks for your question. This is a really interesting one! From what I’ve observed and in my own personal experience social media is something very bitter sweet to introverts. It’s sweet, on one hand, because it allows us to say what we like, do what we like, and be who we want to be in an unrestrained way. If we want to be opinionated and outspoken on the internet with loads of witty things to say, we have the perfect place to do that. Who’s there to stand and criticize us to our faces, or judge us? Social media takes the edge away from socializing, and it gives us unlimited freedom to be who we truly feel we are. On the other hand, the internet is bitter because many of us who have jumped on the social-bandwagon have become extremely tired sooner or later. We can no longer keep up with the thousands of friends our fellow pals on the internet have, and we can no longer stand the repetitious inanity we read every day. Not only that, but many introverts who join social media sites like facebook, twitter, etc. become disgusted sooner or later at the ingenuine nature of their friendships. In the end, whether introverts can thrive or not in a social media environment is all up to context, and what stage they are in their lives. Personally, I quit many social media sites because I was letting them suck away my solitude. I’m not sure how it is for you.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to any other thoughts you may like to share. :)
Haha, I definitely understand your sentiments on nightclubs. It’s just one of those many things, that just isn’t our thing.
I also came to similar conclusions on your thoughts on social media’s capability to be both a beneficence to introverts as well as a form of burden and boring, predictable repetition. I didn’t say anything about myself and social media because I wanted to see what you thought without the intended or unintended influence of my own position, but I’ve avoided them like the plague, in general. For years I’ve refused to get a facebook account for reasons including, but not limited to, my introversion. Because I can sometimes come off as extroverted, depending on the situation and the company I’m keeping at the time, and because of modern society’s rising expectations of social media participation, I’ve been asked a few times (more than I’d appreciate) to add or be added on facebook. When I say I don’t have one the usual response is one of confusion and disbelief. Once someone said to me, jokingly, “You don’t have a facebook? Then who ARE you?”, insinuating a lack of facebook= a lack of existence. Of course I laughed with them, but couldn’t help but feel a nagging sense of disgust and sadness that such a statement can even be proffered as a joke.
For about a month now I sort of started using facebook, mostly by actually creating one and putting up a recent picture for my old high school friends and sharing a total of about 3 things on it. I’m very likely going to close and try to delete my facebook account in the near future. Mirroring your sentiments that the internet (or the general written word) allows us to speak the way we want, I find that I’m far more serious and ‘proper’ than in person. An old friend of mine was so taken off guard by the fact that I have expressed an interest in writing “for fun” that they exclaimed, once more jokingly, “I don’t know who you are anymore!”. It’s interesting how much of what we say and do, especially our jokes, reveals much of us. In person I tend to be easy-going, joking, friendly, and buffoonish but in words I can come across as overtly serious.
But that’s what I feel the beauty of writing is (especially for introverts), we are able to express ourselves in our truest sense while in person we may feel obliged to fall in line with society’s expectations. For me, I feel like a jester behind a mask while I’m out and about, and a grave, misunderstood, and bitter and sad soul when the mask is taken off.
There’s a type of beauty (imaginative) to be found in our, now ever decreasing, privacy. The little we knew of each other inspires grand thought and reverence for one another, but social media such as facebook forcefully reveals that people are a terribly pitiful race. It’s sad to me the need to tell all about nothing. It really ruins our individuality and uniqueness and I really liked that faux beauty I once cherished in others.
Anyways, thanks for the reply! I intended to keep this very brief, but whenever I get “set off” I always feel the need to say everything I’d like.
^My goodness. I did quite the opposite of making a brief “thanks for the reply” reply. I’ve really got to work on that.
Thanks for your thoughts YJohnD :)
If only there could be more people in the world who had the same sort of insightful conversations as people like you. But then, I can see the truth in ying and yang. There’s always some good in bad and bad in good, and the negative very often highlights to positive, that is, all the brilliant, deep and thoughtful people in the world are thought of that way when contrasted with the animalistic, shallow and thoughtless people in the world. I know that sounds like a harsh way of putting it, but sometimes you need to be harsh to get your point across.
Many old souls wear socially acceptable masks to get through daily life, and it’s a lot harder when you’re younger to let the “inner you” shine through, especially when your peers expect you to do one thing when you feel like doing the other. I guess the good news then is that everything improves with age! Or … you can decide to be the weird guy who wants to be a mystical shaman. :) How often we wear a mask is really determined by how much we desire to please other people and be accepted.
Anyway, I really love hearing the thoughts and experiences of other old souls … so thanks for taking the time to share them! I’m sure everyone else here appreciates it as well ;)
:)
Hi,
Thanks for this chain of posts. I share many of the same opinions, particularly about social media for introverts. I am trying to market a book as a self-published author, and every single authors’ instructional book / site / blog tells me I should tweet-tweet-tweet, FB, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn about it until the cows come home.
It’s absolutely exhausting, and my overriding impression is that people will see it as spam invading their lives. Perhaps they don’t, but also perhaps its just counter-culture to non-Americans? Maybe I just have to get over it and keep tweeting incessantly?!
Thanks again,
Lorraine
Its really hard being an old soul. Sometimes you just don’t feel like caring about anything. At the worst times old souls can fall into depression. I’m most at peace when I’m sitting outside alone without any distractions from other people. I wish I could just live on a mountaintop watching the sky and the valleys around me all day and not have to think about anything. Having to work a boring job or study something intrinsically useless just to make a living or to survive just sucks. I’m in my mid-twenties and have no idea what to do in life, only that I don’t want to be a part of the young soul rat race competing for everything from money to jobs to respect from others. I recommend more reading from the Micheal teachings site if you guys want to know more about the concept of soul age. It provides more information about soul ages and insights. http://www.michaelteachings.com/
Painislove, your post struck me deeply – it reminds me so much of myself, especially the part where you described the most peace you feel is sitting outside alone, watching nature. Once you see through the fallacies of society’s games it makes you wonder what is really worth pursuing in your life. Being an Old Soul can make you feel extremely alone, especially when what means so much to other people doesn’t mean a thing to you. I really empathize with you painislove, and I hope you manage to find your place in life (and think outside of the usual “box” people operate in). Thanks for the link as well :)
wow!! i feel the same.
i have also been told that i am an emapth.
Terrific post. You pretty much described me completely. I’m Type 4, Virgo, INFJ, Type A. Great to know there are others who are out there who are just like me :-)
Good article, describes me almost perfectly, except I’m not very spiritually inclined. Haha. I was a bit strange as a kid, but perfectly sure I am an old soul since I was a teenager. At age 13, my concern was not about first love or hang out with friends. I thought a lot about philosophy, the meaning of life and death, etc..
I am a cancer, type A positive, also an INFJ (sometimes INTJ), and type 4 romantic+type 7 adventurer (equal scores, but I think I am more inclined towards the type 4).
Thanks very much Anna :) Nice to know there are so many INFJ/INTJ’s coming here, sounds like we could almost be identical twins (at least personality type wise)! You must have felt quite isolated and strange thinking about such weighty things, while everyone around you was contemplating how to get into the back seat of the car with their crushes, haha :P I know I felt that way, and still do, especially when observing the daily going ons of life, it’s as though there’s a little old woman trapped inside. Thanks for sharing ;)
I wasn’t THAT weird as a kid, and I care a little about material things, but I honestly feel like an old soul. Most of the points above are very familiar, so thanks for this! Is it usual for old souls to be childish? I’m INTJ by the way, but sometimes feel like INFJ.
It seems that many intuitive feelers and thinkers feel old. Good question Jostein :) From what I’ve experienced, old souls live in a kind of paradoxical way – on one hand they feel very old inside, and on the other they’ve usually reached a state where they realize that there isn’t much to worry about, which can make them behave in childish ways (just think of the old soul Rumi the poet, and the childish way he would behave, although his words were filled with wisdom and insight). I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer to play with a child rather than hang out with people around the same age as me. There seems to be a greater affinity between the child and the old soul, than the old soul and his peers, perhaps because they both see the world in a clearer way than the people around them?
Thanks for reading ;)
I’m must be a very old soul because I’m ALL of these! XD
I think you’ve identified a number of signs that one is an thoughtful, intellectual introvert and loner, but I’m not sure they form a cohesive set of attributes. I can think of non-spiritual “old souls” for example. One can be rational/skeptical and also have many of those characteristics.
Thanks for your opinions Ben. I would say that the example you gave of the rational/skeptical Old Soul, could easily fit into the #5 sign, as thoughtfulness also implies critical thought. These signs are by no means exhaustive they’re simply a culmination of the research I’ve done on the topic (the descriptions people gave in forums and so forth), and the experiences I’ve had as well.
The only way to discover the cause (of being an Old Soul) is to first examine the symptoms. Any doctor would tell you that a certain list of symptoms can match a variety of states. It is up to the knowing eye to observe these symptoms and determine whether they are congruent with the experience of being an Old Soul, or not.
:)
Once again the defensiveness and misunderstanding of so many. The variables of the old soul don’t matter. The uninitiated are simply a bore and fail to bring the growth necessary through the insipid passing of time. If you aren’t “it”, you won’t be anything. Try again.
To be “it” is something that only the person can decide. These Signs are merely small hints that may awaken you to the possibility of being an Old Soul, and give you the initial clue for you to explore yourself, introspect and make your own judgment.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Sol