“Some people are old at 18 and some are young at 90 … time is a concept that humans created.” – Yoko Ono

1. The inexperience of feeling truly understood.

Old souls can be seen as strange people because they often hold unconventional ideals and standards of living. They often feel a sense of separation from themselves and the “real world” because things like obtaining great wealth, owning a lot of expensive possessions, and other traits of living a materialistic lifestyle aren’t really an interest to them. In a world fueled by consumerism this can seem kind of weird to most people. Having a different set of expectations and ideas about living can make it hard to feel like anyone truly understands you and what drives you in life.

2. People don’t understand how easygoing and forgiving you can be at times.

Old souls tend to have a philosophical viewpoint about life and look at things on a larger spectrum. What does this mean? When problems arise and old souls are forced to overcome great obstacles they understand even the hardest moments in life are a chance to learn and become stronger.

3. You can be inhibited by the way you view life.

As you evolve over time your self-awareness increases and you’re able to firmly identify your beliefs about life and this world. The problem with old souls is that often they can see a multitude of possibilities within the spectrum of life and instead of freeing them to create whichever destiny they believe would suit them they instead can become inhibited by the very freedom they’ve established.

4. Making decisions based off of a “feeling” can seem illogical.

Intuition is a subtle, sophisticated language and old souls actively work to become in-tune with the way their body communicates with them. The gut instinct is the most simple and basic level of physical intuition that communicates through yes/no, safe/unsafe messages. We use this the most often when trying to make decisions about people and relationships, both personal and professional. Old souls rely on their gut instinct to guide them in their decision making and other people often won’t understand the logic when you tell someone you just “have a feeling” about something or someone.

5. You can be seen as a loner.

Old souls are after long-lasting, impactful, meaningful relationships in all aspects of life. They’d rather have a few close friends than dozens of acquaintances they hardly know but this can give the impression they’re some sort of social outcast. Old souls, like introverts, would rather focus their social energy on people they can have deep conversations with and they loathe being pressured to socialize more or make more friends.

6. You’re unsure if you’ll ever find your home.

One of the most universal problems with being an old soul is the inability to ever really feel like you belong with others. Whether you travel all over or have lived in the same town your entire life it can be difficult for old souls to feel like they have a home in this world. They’re constantly seeking kindred spirits and a place where they truly belong.

7. The desire for solitude can impact your relationships.

Being an old soul can be an isolating existence at times. You need your solitude to sit and reflect on life and to recharge when you’ve completely exhausted yourself but sometimes this can be frustrating to your friends and family. They love you and they want to be around you. Unless they also draw their energy from themselves and understand the need to be alone from time to time this can create issues when they really want you to hang out with them and you’d rather be at home reading a book

8. Your idea of fun is different than others.

Old souls find simple pleasure in small moments in life, and activities that are a bit old-fashioned are what they’re naturally drawn to. Going on a weekend drive through the country, heading to the 24-hour diner at midnight on the other side of town with the best breakfast within a 50-mile radius, getting milkshakes and watching the sunset over the pier, spending the evening writing hand-written letters to your friends that live across the country – these are the kinds of things you love doing. The problem is finding other people who like to engage in the same types of old school fun.

9. You learn the brutal realities of romanticizing life and love.

Old souls have a very romantic way of seeing the world and often when the world doesn’t live up to their expectations they can be emotionally impacted by this. Although old souls are idealistic, eventually they learn to also try and see the more realistic side of things.

10. You find it hard to disengage in conversation with strangers.

Something about old souls makes other people want to come up to them and talk. It’s like you’re sitting on a train or bench somewhere, a person sits down next to you, and 20 minutes later you know their entire life story. Others are drawn to speak to you but it can be difficult to turn others away or to remove yourself from the conversation because you feel some sense of duty to be a sounding board for this stranger that felt compelled to talk to you.