Throughout history, adult perception of youth has always revolved around a few key characteristics. Young people are often described as reckless, irresponsible, lazy, entitled and uninformed.

Sadly, more often than not that tends to be an accurate description. It’s basic science – all about brain structure.

What’s not basic science is the phenomenon of the old soul. Y’know, a (sometimes relatively) young person who seems to possess an understanding of life far beyond their years.

Such a person seems to mysteriously go against all expectations of what a person their age should be.

Sound familiar? Maybe you’re an old soul yourself! Have a look at the following 4 easy-to-miss signs!

Sign #1 – You give advice that’s well beyond what your experiences should allow.

"Look, Grandpa, this is how women work..."

“Look, Grandpa, this is how women think…”

Do you find yourself able to give great marriage advice, even though you’ve never even been in a long-term relationship yourself? Or maybe you approach milestones in your own life with a bit more expertise than what seems reasonable.

Such things indicate that you may be wise beyond your years.

Whether that wisdom comes from a past life or a traumatic childhood that made you grow up a lot faster than you should’ve, don your top hat my friend – you’re clearly an old soul.

Sign #2 – You have a passion for old things.

Do you ever find yourself attracted to artifacts from an era that you have virtually no firsthand connection to? Are you drawn to thrift shops and vintage record stores because the pieces there just speak to you?

The rest of the world moved past those fashions and trends ages ago. But you? Nope, you’re an old soul – the artifacts of a bygone era connect to you more than anything made within the 21st Century.

Sign #3 – You long for meaningful, deep connections.

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Hookup culture is rampant today. And it’s not just an isolated trend – it’s an indicator of how detached people have become from one another and life in general.

Why sit through hours of conversation when you can just find someone who’s okay with skipping straight to sex? Why actually own a record when you can just pay $10 a month and have any album you want in the cloud? Why settle for things you can afford when you can just pull out your credit card and buy anything you want.

That logic might work for some people. But for an old soul? Nu-uh. Old souls live in a world where good things are earned. From sex to objects, an old soul longs for deep connections and they forge those connections by working for them.

#4 – You don’t understand kids these days.

‘What’s all this Snapchat nonsense my friends are on about?’

‘Who is this celebrity everybody’s ranting about? Wait, they’re famous for what?’

Y’know those stereotypical old people who sit on the proverbial porch of life, squinting at the ‘nonsense’ the neighborhood kids are up to? That’s basically what an old soul is like when it comes to new trends.

It’s not that they think they’re above people their age; it’s more that they just seriously don’t understand why the latest trends are so popular.

Do you think you fit the description of an old soul? If so, check out this fun video from BuzzFeed that’ll describe your struggles perfectly!

Sources:
Elite Daily
The Emporium Castle Rock
Pucker Mob
BBC
FreeChild.org