Have you ever given the concept of Old Soul vs. Young Soul much thought? Are you an “old soul” or a “young soul?”
Growing up, I always considered myself a young soul when compared to my closest friends and comrades. I linked maturity with “soul age” and being that I spent most of my time with girls, who statistically mature faster than boys, they all seemed to be old souls compared to me.
Not too long ago, I was in deep conversation with some gal pals of today (not the same as the childhood friends) and they about knocked me off my chair when they said they considered me an old soul. I had never been told that before and it was completely contrary to my strongly-held opinion of myself. It made me question then, what is an old soul or a young soul?
Scouring the Interwebs, it turns out that there are varying definitions that either approach these concepts from completely secular ideas to religious/spiritual/reincarnation ones.
So instead, I polled some friends to see what they think old souls and young souls are.
Old Soul
- Wise beyond their years
- Deep understanding of people and the world around them that doesn’t match their life experience
- Hobbies and interests seem mismatched from their generation
Young Soul
- Untouched by cynicism
- Delights in the world around them, much like a child discovering things for the first time
- Joyful and a delight to be around because of their enthusiasm and zest for life
These lists seem mostly aligned with my own understanding of what each kind of soul is. Yet, taking an honest look back on my life, I would say that I began as a young soul and have somehow become more like an old soul. This brings me back to the simpler idea of maturity. Is soul age really just a reflection of maturity?
One other perspective to soul age that I often think about is stoicism. I am someone who is strongly impacted by severe anxiety and panic attacks from time to time. I think of old souls as stoic people, accepting life and challenges as they come without worrying themselves to death over any of it. I think of young souls as people who would be much easier to rattle, and more prone to fear. Or do I have that backwards? If old souls are the cynics and the young souls have the enthusiasm and zest for life, wouldn’t they be the more stoic ones? I, for one, am confused.
The ideas of old soul and young soul seem much more complex than I ever gave them credit before. And then there’s the whole reincarnation aspect that I haven’t even begun to discuss here.
In the end, I am still unresolved over which type of soul I truly am. Maybe it’s just a matter of perspective and is completely in the eye of the beholder. I’m curious to hear more though. What do you think defines old soul and young soul? What would you say is your soul age?
Dilly Dabbler 
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