What is so bad about looking younger than your age?

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I've never understood why some people find this discouraging and annoying. They are blessed with good genes. A person who is in his or her 20s may get annoyed if someone mistakes him or her as being a teenager. Whenever someone thinks that I'm younger than I am I take it as a compliment. At 24, I still get mistaken for being under 18 and in high school. I don't get annoyed. I love it when someone thinks I'm younger than I really am. These young people who think it is annoying being mistaken for being younger are going to really appreciate it when they are older. I don't understand why so many young people are in such a hurry to grow up and get older. What do they think that life is going to be like when they are older? So many young people try really hard to look older and I never understand what they are trying to prove or why they are in such a hurry to age. When these young people do grow up and get older they wish that they could go back to their younger days even though they spent so much time trying to make themselves appear older and wishing they were grown up.

I'm 40 and someone thought I was 20 in one of my jobs. It's not to big a deal if you are aware of it, roll with it, or exploit it.

It might only be awkward if someone else knows your true age for a fact and you don't look it. You might be perceived as both physically or mentally immature.

it doesn't matter. you are either attractive or not.

personally, if a girl is 28 but she looks 18 i would NEVER find her attractive.




on a side note:
this woman is 63 years old

Initially, I wrote a very long and detailed reply.

But it boils down to this: you don't get taken seriously for the life experience you've gathered at a hard cost, but which others automatically assume you don't have.

You don't get taken seriously or given basic respect. And when this happens daily, and sometimes in quite serious situations, it's not good.

Birdinflight,

You are exactly correct. I look significantly younger than my age and am also quite short (5' 1"). Luckily, I am in good health, so that's an advantage.

I lack the life experiences most people take for granted, despite being an educated person.

For my generation of Americans, it was the opposite, we had it pounded into our heads the young is good and old is bad. I was happy to be proofed for age when I was in my 30's.

It was a good thing when I got into movies for the 12 and under price when I was 16.
Off topic: This reminded me how much times have changed. It was not considered unusual for a 12-year-old boy to go to the movies by himself. I did it a number of times. Also, there were a lot more neighborhood theaters with one or two screens around and mall multiplexes had not become a thing yet.

I'm 23 and I tend to get mistaken for an 18-year-old occasionally. Do I mind it? No. If anything, I find it quite flattering in a sense.

when you're under 18 being told you look younger than you are is usually taken as an insult. When you're over 25 its usually taken as a complement. Eighteen to 25 it could be taken either way.

I remember once when I was in college an older person complimented me on my new shorter hair cut, and said "and on top of that I think that it makes you look older...I mean that in a good way...". For some reason that moment sticks in my mind as being the first time someone had to specify "in a good way" when they said I looked "older" (both that they needed to say it, and that I needed to hear it. Lol!).

It's mostly teens who think it's bad because they want to always look older. Or so I've heard. They think they're adults at 13 so they want to be treated like adults. But they're not adults. I never understood this at that age, I thought adulthood was terrible and scary. All the changes to your body, all the new responsibilities, and not being allowed to do kid things that I still liked doing. If it were possible I would have grown down and stayed a 10-year-old.

I'm 30, but always am being mistaken as 20 or a teenager. I'm not complaining. I graduated high school a few weeks ago due to getting sick at seventeen and not knowing how or where to get a GED. So if I go to college looking like a 20 something, I'm not complaining. Most vet schools prefer people in the 30's or 40's anyway and if they question my age, all I gotta do is whip out my ID. But to everyone else, I'd be perceived as the same age as most of the students.

not a dang thing wrong with it.

I'm 42 and people think I'm in my early to mid 20s. I don't mind. I have issues with age and other things that come along with it.

I'm pretty surprised that this is related to being an Aspie. How weird. Perhaps it's related to Euhler Danlos or flat affect or hating to be outside with all the sensory input or not being physically active due to long stretches of bring absorbed in whatever or not wearing make up.

I'm almost always pleased when people think I'm younger than I am and I love making people guess my age. It's ridiculous sometimes. Like when I was 29 a pharmacist asked me what high school I go to.

Minuses are sometimes people don't take you seriously and can be very condescending. I've even had this experience with people I later found out are younger than me. I've been babied all my life and mostly it irritates me but sometimes it's nice... Sometimes. Like when people help me carry stuff or whatever.