Do people think your older or younger than your actual age? (surgery, men)

[Robinwomb]

I used to look very very young for my age. When I was 23 and traveling through airports on my own, I was actually asked if I needed an adult escort lol.

Several years ago (I am 50 now) I first learned about my husband's pulmonary fibrosis and need for an oxygen tank. It has rapidly progressed and now we are trying to get him a lung transplant halfway across the U.S. I care for him around the clock while working full time. Add in my mother in a nursing home with dementia who barely remembers me, and a sister with paranoid schizophrenia in and out of hospitals who needs my help as we have no other family here and I have literally no help and no support. My skin now has patches of dry, scaly, itchy dermatitis all over and my face is aging rapidly. Right now I just don't care. I do maintain a bmi of 19 and work out like a mad dog but that's how I handle stress and I don't eat much when I am highly anxious.

[SharonMB]

I think everyone tells other people they look young. Who would say, "wow, you're only 65? I would have guessed 80 for sure!"

That being said, people are routinely surprised when I tell them the ages of my young adult children. I've had several people say, "wow, you started very young, huh?" I was 25 when my first was born.

But then again, referring back to my first thought, they're likely just being polite. It would be rude for them to say "ah, I assumed you were his grandmother," when referring to my son in his early 20s.

[pathrunner]

I'd like to know the age of the deniers on this thread. When I was 50, I thought 70 was old. Now that I am 71, I see that age is relative. There are a lot of factors. I know for damn sure that people are not lying to me. One co-worker even kept denying that I was 70 at the time, so I whipped out my driver's license and showed them.

But you know, you guys do you. Let's see how you look when you are 70. I am willing to bet that some of you will not "look 70."

Bunch of gaslighters.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by pathrunner

I'd like to know the age of the deniers on this thread. When I was 50, I thought 70 was old. Now that I am 71, I see that age is relative. There are a lot of factors. I know for damn sure that people are not lying to me. One co-worker even kept denying that I was 70 at the time, so I whipped out my driver's license and showed them.

But you know, you guys do you. Let's see how you look when you are 70. I am willing to bet that some of you will not "look 70."

Bunch of gaslighters.

We don't know you. But if we start with the premise that there is a certain "average" way people of a given age look, it's impossible for 94% of them to look younger than they are. That's what the poll is saying. And obviously it's a very small and nonscientific sample. Maybe people choose not to respond if their answer would be "older." The poll is flawed because there is no option for "I look my age" (which is what I would choose and why I didn't vote). But there is nothing wrong with discussing why 94% of the people who did answer this poll think they look younger than their age. And politeness/flattery from others is a legitimate reason, if not the only one.

[perennial millennial]

I'm in my early thirties, still get carded. Someone at the store once said they thought I looked sixteen. No idea if my height plays a part in it, or maybe Native American genes, low stress, personality... Depending on whose genes I inherit, I'll either start balding in a few decades, or keep a full head of hair forever.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by perennial millennial

I'm in my early thirties, still get carded. Someone at the store once said they thought I looked sixteen. No idea if my height plays a part in it, or maybe Native American genes, low stress, personality... Depending on whose genes I inherit, I'll either start balding in a few decades, or keep a full head of hair forever.

I laughed the other day at Safeway when the woman ahead of me got carded, she looked about 50. The woman had a funny look so the cashier told her that they are under orders to ID everyone buying alcohol regardless of their age. Times have changed, I used to buy beer at 18-19 without being carded, there must be more enforcement and severe penalties now.

[pathrunner]

Originally Posted by saibot

We don't know you. But if we start with the premise that there is a certain "average" way people of a given age look, it's impossible for 94% of them to look younger than they are. That's what the poll is saying. And obviously it's a very small and nonscientific sample. Maybe people choose not to respond if their answer would be "older." The poll is flawed because there is no option for "I look my age" (which is what I would choose and why I didn't vote). But there is nothing wrong with discussing why 94% of the people who did answer this poll think they look younger than their age. And politeness/flattery from others is a legitimate reason, if not the only one.

This is not about you and others here not knowing me, or about the poll.

My post was about younger people thinking that someone aged 70 looks their age, and they think that people are lying when they say the 70 yr old looks younger.

I never said that politeness/flattery from others was unacceptable. I said that people not believing a 70 yr old's statement is gaslighting.

[kgordeeva]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

I laughed the other day at Safeway when the woman ahead of me got carded, she looked about 50. The woman had a funny look so the cashier told her that they are under orders to ID everyone buying alcohol regardless of their age. Times have changed, I used to buy beer at 18-19 without being carded, there must be more enforcement and severe penalties now.

Yeah, that's definitely true... Grocery stores and drug stores are supposed to card people who look under 40, so I'll typically get carded if the cashier doesn't know me. They're so strict about carding for alcohol in the U.S. for some reason. When I was in Colorado a couple of years ago, there was a sign in grocery store that the card everyone under 50 Like, is that really necessary? lol. In other countries, they aren't nearly as strict about selling alcohol. In some European countries, they'll probably even sell alcohol to 12 year olds.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by kgordeeva

Yeah, that's definitely true... Grocery stores and drug stores are supposed to card people who look under 40, so I'll typically get carded if the cashier doesn't know me. They're so strict about carding for alcohol in the U.S. for some reason. When I was in Colorado a couple of years ago, there was a sign in grocery store that the card everyone under 50 Like, is that really necessary? lol. In other countries, they aren't nearly as strict about selling alcohol. In some European countries, they'll probably even sell alcohol to 12 year olds.

I am in my 70s, and the stores here card EVERYONE regardless of age. They have really tightened up in the last few years about it.

[chiluvr1228]

Originally Posted by saibot

You were 68 and someone thought you were under 50?

Oh well, these threads are always entertaining anyway.

I was 67 (started school before I was 5). Seriously, nobody and I mean nobody takes me for older than 55. I'm petite, slim and very small boned. My family doesn't really wrinkle. My grandfather was in his 90's and still looked like he was 75 tops. My mother still turned heads when she was 70 years old.

When I had my 21st birthday party where I used to work, customers saw the balloons and asked me if it was my sweet 16 birthday. I hated it back then, now not so much.