"Old souls are usually childlike in many ways, having the playfulness and simplicity of children, while maintaining a certain world-weariness and deep insight."
--don Mateo Sol

I have been called an old soul multiple times in my life, ever since I was a little kid. Yes, it sounded nice, but I never got to truly understand what they meant by calling me that until this time of my life. Weren't they right!

When you are an old soul, you just know it. Explaining it, however, can be hard.

I came up with several characteristics of old souls in an attempt to give you a clearer picture of our lives:

1. We were told as kids to stop acting so much like grown-ups.

I remember my parents warning me that I was going to skip phases in my life if I kept behaving so "adultly." They used to actually make me play outside because I would much rather draw or help my mom cook.

2. We choose to be in the company of older people.

Yes, most young people feel important when they hang with older human beings, like they find them interesting or something. But with old souls, it goes beyond that. We do not do it to feel important, we do it because we do not have relationships with people our own age. We just can’t. I have only ONE friend my age, all others are several years older and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

3. Classic books are sacred.

Sherlock Holmes, The Phantom of the Opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Secret Garden, Pride and Prejudice, Moby-Dick, The Great Gatsby, etc. My bet is that, as I did, you read tons of classics before you turned 12.

4. We despise our generation.

Ever wished that you were born in the 1950s? Yes, me too. Old souls just can’t understand how a kid would rather play video games than read a book or play outside. I had a Nintendo DS once, the game I owned was called 100 Classic Books, all of which I read. Seriously, we are annoyed by the shallowness of our generation’s mindset.

5. Our definition of fun is often very different from the one of the rest of our generation.

A room full of sweaty, dancing, tipsy teenagers is not our idea of a perfect Friday or Saturday night. We like to be taken out for walks or rides. We like to be taken to dinner at a quiet place (personally, one with a great view of city lights) and just talk and talk about everything and nothing. We will take Netflix and cuddles any time over a party.

6. We love old music.

Elvis *insert all kinds of love emojis*, The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond and many others are always present on our playlists.

7. We preserve our childlike wonder.

We enjoy simple things like hugs, smiles, sunsets, the ocean, good books, small towns, etc. It doesn't take a lot to make us happy. We are very low maintenance.

8. We are attracted to broken people.

I consider this to be both a weakness and a strength. We will go long distances to help people, but we often have trouble realizing that we can’t fix a person, and hence often get hurt.

9. We never half-love.

Old souls love with their whole heart. We feel everything deeply, and love for friends and family is not an exception. We expect things to last, and will go a long distance to make them last.

10. We enjoy “sophisticated” outings.

The Opera? The theatre? The ballet? Museums? Architecturally beautiful walks? Yes, oh yes please! (Expect us to also take TONS of pictures)

11. We are very insightful.

When we see a person, we don't just see a person. We examine them, try to gauge their emotions, and try figure out their stories. We could go from zero to a thousand in the level of deepness in a conversation in a matter of seconds. We enjoy heart-to-heart conversations with the few people we trust.

12. We enjoy solitude.

We like being alone, we really do. In my case, I love sitting by myself in a coffee shop for hours just thinking, reading and writing.

13. We are really critical of modern entertainment.

Modern music, literature, and movies rarely please us. Our standards are really high.

14. We love vintage objects.

From turntables and Polaroids to writing machines and chain watches. You name it, we have it... or wish we did.

15. We are so stinking proud to be old souls.

Yes, we are mocked, classified as weird, told that reading is useless, etc. But we are really proud of who we are and what we like. It’s a good life.