Your actual age and your subjective age are only in sync for the briefest of periods around your mid-twenties. Here's why we spend most of our lives in asynchronous age delusion.
I'm approaching 50 and something has flipped in that for my whole life the world seemed full of people older than me and now the world seems full of younger people. Not sure what that means. As for internal age, that's a bit messy, physically I think (like so many) probably early 20s prime, when I could do so much and barely be tired. Mentally however, I suspect younger.
Interesting! I’m 35 inside and have been for ages (I’m actually nearly 68). I notice all my friends who are older than me or my age are aged about 60 in my world, and stay that way, no matter how much older they get. And despite the fact I’m writing about embracing ageing!!
However maybe what you’re writing about her is part of embracing it. Hilarious!
Hi Aaron - synchronistically this post arrived in my inbox on 23rd August 2025 - my 70th birthday. I’m coming right out with it……. I don’t know yet if it matters. Just about everyone says in astonished tones ‘but you don’t look it at all’ . I’m still trying to work out what ‘looking it’ might mean. More wrinkles? I certainly don’t look like my parents at 70! Mostly what I get is ‘you have a young energy’. But one thing can’t be denied: I’m getting closer to the finish line…. 😇
First of all, happy birthday Tree! And secondly - that’s another thing. Each generation “looks different” at certain ages. When I was a kid, people in their fifties seemed so old! The Golden Girls were all in their fifties!
Great post Aaron, thank you! Especially loved your advice in the last section about growing old with grace, here here!
I've always believed my internal age is 36, not sure really why that specific number. I agree with your thoughts on the number being more in our 20's, makes a lot of sense. Now at 45 its an odd sensation moving further away my golden age!
I'm approaching 50 and something has flipped in that for my whole life the world seemed full of people older than me and now the world seems full of younger people. Not sure what that means. As for internal age, that's a bit messy, physically I think (like so many) probably early 20s prime, when I could do so much and barely be tired. Mentally however, I suspect younger.
Interesting! I’m 35 inside and have been for ages (I’m actually nearly 68). I notice all my friends who are older than me or my age are aged about 60 in my world, and stay that way, no matter how much older they get. And despite the fact I’m writing about embracing ageing!!
However maybe what you’re writing about her is part of embracing it. Hilarious!
Hi Aaron - synchronistically this post arrived in my inbox on 23rd August 2025 - my 70th birthday. I’m coming right out with it……. I don’t know yet if it matters. Just about everyone says in astonished tones ‘but you don’t look it at all’ . I’m still trying to work out what ‘looking it’ might mean. More wrinkles? I certainly don’t look like my parents at 70! Mostly what I get is ‘you have a young energy’. But one thing can’t be denied: I’m getting closer to the finish line…. 😇
First of all, happy birthday Tree! And secondly - that’s another thing. Each generation “looks different” at certain ages. When I was a kid, people in their fifties seemed so old! The Golden Girls were all in their fifties!
28 feels right to me.
Great post Aaron, thank you! Especially loved your advice in the last section about growing old with grace, here here!
I've always believed my internal age is 36, not sure really why that specific number. I agree with your thoughts on the number being more in our 20's, makes a lot of sense. Now at 45 its an odd sensation moving further away my golden age!