As a self-diagnosed old soul, here are factors I have discovered that contribute to the mindset and way of life of a person wise beyond their years with a heart older than their body.
1. You were a strange kid.
An old soul in the body of a young child is a strange thing. As a baby, I never went through the babbling stage of learning to speak. When I began to talk, I only spoke in more or less full sentences. It startled my mother to hear her baby speak in full sentences rather than nonsensical, babbling phrases that is characteristic of babies. I learned to speak in this way through constant observation of how the adults in my life, my mother included, spoke and interacted with each other. After nearly two years of silent observation, I was able to mimic how they speak.
Old souls as children may not engage so much in aimless playtime with other children as they do spending time alone, perhaps coloring or playing outside alone. The introverted nature of old souls as children may worry parents, who may be concerned that their child is not interacting enough with children of the same age. When put in a social setting with children of the same age, such as on the playground or in the classroom, the old soul may often resort simply to watching how the other children play and interact with each other. Observing peers allows the old soul to take into consideration the apparent truth that he or she is not at the same intellectual level as children of the same age.
A child who is also an old soul can often be found engaging in conversations with adults, in preference to children of the same age. As the old soul grows into teenage and young adult years, the ability to connect and converse with adults older than themselves proves helpful both professionally and personally.
2. You often feel isolated from your peers.
When around people your age, you may feel isolated not because of how they treat you, but because of the way your mind works. Due to the wisdom you carry that is far beyond your years, you may find it difficult to truly connect with people your age, because you have very different values, interests, and views of the world. Although we are all different, the old soul is so different in the way that we think and operate that they find it hard to sincerely relate to peers. And although the old soul prefers to be alone, feelings of isolation and loneliness can result from lack of connection to others.
3. You don’t like to go out or stay out too late.
Young adults attending parties, clubs, or bars may not leave the dorm or the home until 10:30 or 11 p.m. As an old soul, I can’t imagine getting ready and going out so late. I like to be in my pajamas at this time, and I’m ready for bed!
If you do go out earlier than 11 p.m., however, you do not like to stay out too late. You may find yourself wanting to go home at 8 or 9 p.m., similar to a tired adult. Others will tell you, “You’re young! You should be fine until at least midnight!” But it’s more than a personal preference. As an introvert, socializing and going out in public is better in small doses.
4. You are an introvert and an observer.
People define themselves as either an introvert, or an extrovert, or most often a mix of both, but the old soul is no doubt an introverted person. The wisdom and maturity found in old souls makes us stand out from others in the age group. As an introvert, the old soul will in most cases not be the person talking when in a social group, and prefers to be alone rather than surrounded by others- even our friends and other people we like! It is simply the introverted nature of the old soul that motivates us to find peace with ourselves alone.
Rather than actively contributing to a group conversation, the old soul prefers to sit back and listen. The introverted nature of the old soul entails that you are typically not the center of attention in social settings, and very infrequently are you the one to carry the conversation. As mentioned previously, you contribute less to the conversation than others. Instead, you would rather observe. The old soul prefers to think and listen, rather than to speak and be heard. The old soul is more interested in hearing what others have to say, and how others respond, than to have their own thoughts heard out loud.
You also love to people watch. You find peace in sitting quietly alone in a public place and just watching people. It is fascinating to you how people interact, and you would much rather observe it than participate in it. You are not necessarily antisocial, just introverted.
5. You are unattached to technology and social media in comparison to peers.
Although I consider myself an old soul, I am also an 18-year-old college student, so of course, I have and use social media. I am proficient in technology and can fix a problem on a computer without missing a beat, but I naturally find myself unattached to technology (all things Apple, it makes no sense to me) than my peers.
You may notice that you are not nearly as attached to your smartphone and social media as your peers. I, for example, do not feel the need to bring my cell phone to dinner, nor to use it at the table while eating. Sometimes, while eating in my college dining hall with friends, I will be the only one sitting there quietly eating while not also looking at their cell phone.
You are also not as interested in social media as your peers may seem to be. You couldn’t care less what to caption your Instagram photo or what filter to use, and the concept of how many likes you get, or how many followers you have is of no interest or value to you. You just don’t “get” it.
6. You prefer to read than to watch Netflix.
While you enjoy the occasional movie, the old soul may find that you dislike television because it makes you feel brain dead. Although you may watch the news or the occasional award show, you avoid modern reality television shows and similar sitcoms because you do not find them entertaining, but rather numbing. And as an old soul, you have an active (sometimes overly active) mind, and you do not like the feeling of numbing your brain. You like to keep your mind active, awake, and working, and although you do relax from time to time, laying on the couch and watching mindless television isn’t the way to do it, for you.
Reading is more relaxing to you than staring blankly at a screen watching a movie or show on Netflix. While entertaining, reading also keeps your mind active, and is a satisfying pastime.
7. You experience feelings of sadness or anxiousness.
We all feel sad or anxious from time to time, but the old soul is more inclined to become sad or even depressed due to a lack of true connection with others, and the loneliness that results from it. Old souls tend to feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, which can make you feel sad and lonely, because you feel as though no one understands you. Due to the big picture mentality of the old soul, it is easy for you to feel sad upon analyzing the state of the world and society. You may feel deeply and emotionally associated with the problems of the world.
Old souls are incredibly in touch with our emotions, and therefore can easily identify feelings of loneliness, sadness, and anxiety not only from their own little world, but humankind overall. The old soul’s deep and natural understanding of the severity of the problems facing humankind can lead to anxiety over the fate of the human race, and perhaps a sense of helplessness in that you feel there is nothing you can do to help or change the world.
The old soul is similar to the book, "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, where one member of society is tasked with carrying the horrific memories of humankind, including war, suffering, starvation, and terrorism, so that everyone else in society does not have to be weighed down with these intense emotions.
The old soul may often wonder why the world is the way it is. As an old soul, you may feel a great sense of responsibility for changing how humans treat each other and the planet on which we live, but again there is that feeling of detachment due to the difficulty in relating to others on a deeper level.
Although detached from others, the old soul holds a deeper understanding that makes it hard for us to fit in with peers. The old soul feels more comfortable with older adults, with a more similar level of wisdom and maturity. Although the old soul likes to observe people the same age, we feel more understood when around people similar to us. Being an old soul can mean a lonely life, but we like it better that way.
