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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

You shouldn’t knock TEN years off your age!

93 replies

rightnowimpissed · 03/10/2017 12:13

A former friend I went to school with is all over social media today saying she’s ten years younger than she is, I just think it’s a bit off really why even say anything about your age at all if you don’t want people to know how old you are, it wasn’t relevant to what she was taking about in her post.

Is it dishonest or AIBU.

OP posts:
Natsku · 03/10/2017 15:33

I'm tempted to knock 10 years off my age, might even get away with it, always being ID'd anyway Grin

Not as bad as a newspaper a year or two ago calling my brother, a man in his 30s,a teenager!

MissionItsPossible · 03/10/2017 15:34

I do this quite regularly but only because when I tell people my age I get "WHAT? No way. You barely look a day over . What's your Date of Birth? Are you sure?" Etc. It's now less hassle to just simply lie and knock 10-12 years off if I find myself in that sort of scenario.

MrsHathaway · 03/10/2017 15:36

Oddly DH (software engineer) has always tried to hide his youth. He started going grey in his twenties and definitely felt it helped him to progress. For reference, he manages people who started at his company before he was born.

But of course the one thing women are not allowed to be is old, so that may be a man/woman difference.

guilty100 · 03/10/2017 15:36

I soooo would if I could get away with it without someone from my schooldays popping up and going "OI! How come you've lost 10 years?". Also, no-one would believe it.

I don't think it really matters, and I'd struggle to get wound up about someone doing this. It's evidence of a slightly comic amount of vanity/insecurity, but that's it.

TheNaze73 · 03/10/2017 15:45

Does she post a lot of attention seeking shit?

coddiwomple · 03/10/2017 15:45

There are no insecurities here, theres no point, they are wasted energy.

you still haven't explained why you waste so much energy being bothered about it and waste even more time policing somebody else' social media.

Theresnonamesleft · 03/10/2017 15:48

I really dont see the point lying about age. It really is just a number, and everyone ages at the end of the day

Inarutneedhelp · 03/10/2017 16:02

My sister used to do this all the time . Knocked 8 years off . She stopped when someone asked her was she the older sister and she just a year younger than me .

I get why she did it though . She is an older parent at the school and she didn’t want her age bandied about . Worked when we bit younger but now nearly 50 not so much .

Jaxhog · 03/10/2017 16:02

If she's in IT then I understand why. IT is one of the most ageist/sexist industries outside of fashion/media.

PS. Most people think I look younger than I am, but I once got mistaken for my mother. She does look very good for her age and the people in question hadn't seen her for over 25 years. But really.

BoysofMelody · 03/10/2017 16:03

It is counter productive.

I'm 3 ;in a few months and I would far rather be regarded as a relatively well preserved 38 year old then lie and have everyone thinking, 'bloody hell he looks knackered for 28'. In fact I'm tempted to tell everyone I'm 58 and have them think I'm some sort of Peter Pan.

TimeTravellersCompanion · 03/10/2017 16:13

To be honest I don't think it is any of your business

CorbynsBumFlannel · 04/10/2017 19:10

Strange thread. At first everyone was saying the op should call her friend out then when she did everyone piled on saying she should have kept quiet!
Come on op what did she say?

Original poster
rightnowimpissed · 04/10/2017 19:42

Hi update, there hasn’t been an answer so I guess she’s not going to now.

I don’t get the dishonesty tbh and to be fair I wasn’t completely bothered by it just a niggling thing is all. Beside I don’t have to explain what I am doing.

IT where we are is not ageist at all most of the people around here in IT are older but that’s besides the point. Her job is not reliant on looks.

My job however is all about “I was the youngest ever...” and male focused too so if anything I should be the one lying about my age, but it really doesn’t bother me I walked into my new job on my birthday and when asked told everyone it was my 30th (the usual age group for this training position is 22-23).

I’m ok with calling her out so water of a ducks back here

OP posts:
Notreallyarsed · 04/10/2017 19:47

I worked in a nursing home and one of the residents was turning 100 so we applied for her Telegram from the Queen. Turns out somewhere along the line she’d shaved 4 years off her age, and was actually 104! Her own daughter didn’t even realise Grin

astrotel · 04/10/2017 19:53

Someone I was at Uni with is on an online dating site and apparently 7 years younger than me- she was the oldest in our uni house- so must be 2 years older than me at least.

I actually think it is a dishonest as it is the difference between possibly being able to have children and probably not (41 and 50). She also says that she has no children- which isn't true.

ElizaDontlittle · 04/10/2017 19:56

Notreally my grandmother did a similar thing, my father and uncle only found out when she died that she was actually 5 years older. Apparently she felt ashamed at being older than my grandfather - she would have been 25 to his 21 when they met, and shaved 5yrs off!!

drspouse · 04/10/2017 20:14

My DH has been having a difficult time researching his family history for similar reasons - his DGF added some years to his age whether to appear older than his wife or enlist in WW1 or they just weren't sure, we don't know!

Notreallyarsed · 04/10/2017 20:29

Eliza bless her, I suppose it mattered then. DP is 4 years younger than me and I’ve never thought about it. Well not since we hit our 30s anyway Grin

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