To think this isn't a compliment?

[PinkGlitter123]

To be told regularly and often that you look 17/18 at the age of 34.

Yes but mabel if the majority of people shared your opinion, the film would never have worked.

So it would seem they don't.

LOL @professorpecked

@WorraLiberty we will have to agree to disagree. I have seen many people playing people a few years younger than their actual age. And you can tell they are not the (younger) age they are meant to be, but it doesn't mean 'it doesn't work...'

One example is Will from 'The Inbetweeners' who (when it began) was meant to be 16, but was actually 24, and looked 30! The lady playing his mother only looked a couple of years older than him. Yet it still worked because he was good in the role.

There are loads more similar examples...

Also, even if 20 y.o Sally Thomsett does look 11 in The Railway Children (which I REALLY don't think she does at all!) that doesn't prove that people in their mid 30s look 16.

That's why I said, I am not sure what point you're trying make.

But we will have to agree to differ, because I think Sally Thomsett looked about 16 in The Railway Children...

I get this all the time. I'm 32 and it can be annoying, does make me laugh a little bit when I show my i.d and people are shocked!

I hated it my 20s and 30s.
However I absolutely revel in it, now

Only on mn do people in their 30’s and 40’s look 15 years younger. In reality they just don’t . Maybe at a glance but no. I am a petite size size6, exactly the same body as pre kids. I look every inch 35 , if anything people who are thin look older. I have never met anyone in RL who look years younger than they are, they might think it but they don’t. People who inject neurotoxin into their faces can look younger at a glance but it’s generally pretty recognizable.
I don’t come from a western culture but there is an unhealthy obession with looking young. There is nothing wrong with looking your age. Women should be proud whatever age.
Incidentally until I was in my 30’s no one ever commented on my looking younger, now people do as it’s sometimes to say when you are clearly getting older (I don’t look younger) I do it too, fake surprise at people’s age, I don’t know why. It’s like small talk!

You can believe what you like Grainthetra, but I'm 37, and just last month got asked at passport control if I was over 18. When I got engaged in my 20s, I had someone point and laugh at my engagement ring, saying they didn't believe I was old enough. Being taken for a child when you're a fully functioning adult is irritating to say the least.

Get it ALL the time.

Can we see a photo op I actually wouldn't take it as a compliment and would be pissed off if I looked 17/18 when I was in early 30's....would be attracting all the wrong kinds of men for a start & not being taken seriously in virtually every situation would turn me into a very angry woman indeed!

I'd be happy, OP..

I look older than my 34, at least in my face.

I put it down to my extreme wisdom and valuable life experience and shite genes

Whenever anyone asks me how old I think they are - and it's always someone who obviously thinks they look much younger than they are - I always subtract a decade from what I really think, to keep them happy in their mistaken belief they look fresh-faced and youthful. I'm not alone in this. A lot of women are incredibly vain and incredibly deluded about their looks. And a lot of us perpetuate the myth because it's not worth the aggro of telling a 55yo she looks 55.

This used to happen to me. I remember treating myself to a new haircut about a year after DS was born. After a minute or two of chatting about what I wanted done with my hair, the hairdresser asked me if today was an Inset day. I said I didn't know and he said he was just wondering why I wasn't in school as it was a school day!

Another occasion, one summer I was painting our front porch and wearing old jeans, t-shirt and a baseball cap. The postman arrived with a parcel to be signed for and asked me "is your mum or dad in sonny?" (I was in my early 30s at the time).

When I was about 35 I was asked for ID when buying alcohol.

I got so used to people thinking I was younger than my real age that it came as a bit of a shock when it stopped happening! I'm 61 now and I look 61 (or maybe older). But at least I do now get treated as an adult.

OP I get it. I'm 28 and people think I'm 18 alot of the time. Every time I tell them my age I'm meeted with big shock. I also get alot of bad looks I have a toddler and people assume I'm a young mum. Which I hate! It's just annoying because as you said people patronize you because they think you're a lot younger and don't know much

I'm 45 and get idd all the time and look 16. I'm beautiful, rich and successful. Poor me.

Sorry but how can a 34 year old look 17? I just can't imagine it. If a young looking 34 year old and a 17/18 year old stood side by side there's no way they'd look the same age

To be honest, I can see why you might take offence to that. Think if someone is saying that in a patronising way, eg at work to belittle your authority.

Yes looking younger may be seen as more desirable than looking older, but don’t underestimate how this can be turned around to an underhanded compliment. You can have the most beautiful face or perfect body, and someone will just turn it around to you being stupid or promiscuous and therefore useless at X job etc

I can see why it might be patronising, but it’s better than being told you look much older!
you won’t have to deal with it when you get older at least.

Well your anger will eventually age you. Problem solved.

GPatz sweetie I'm 9 stone, size 8 and 31

@PinkGlitter123
Post a pic and let MM decide how old you look🤨

Staryskies a lot of it is how they dress. I dressed in 'tracksuit' type wear for work and minimal make up, so got ID'ed more. If I 'dress up' I don't get ID'ed!

I totally get it, it's annoying when you want to be taken seriously and with respect but people assume you are young and inexperienced. Especially at work.

But it does happen for some people, some of the time. Certainly I imagine people look closer to their age at other times. But I was once flying with a colleague, age 34, and the check in desk told us "Oh, we're going to have to change your seats". We asked why, and were told it was an exit row, and you had to be at least 12 to sit there. Cue a bit of confusion and the desk agent heavily scrutinising colleague's passport in surprise (which has birthdate, in the last century!), before she apologied and handed across our boarding passes. So I imagine she doesn't look 11 all the time (she always looked adult to me) but to strangers at quick glance, they obviously assumed she was my daughter or something.

Oh, and I also work with one of those men with a "baby face". He seriously does look 10. I imagine he will forever, like those actors who play kids into their 40/50s. He nearly always wears a full suit and tie to work.

I'm in my mid 50s and people regularly think my 2 year old grandsonis mine