Do you consider 50+ old?

[AllStarfish]

Yes - YABU
NO - YANBU

If no, what age to you consider old.

No. I'm 53 and don't feel old at all! I guess when I stop being able to run, play netball, do body combat etc, I'll start feeling old, but until such time...

As an number yes, and if you said to me someone was in their 60s I'd say gosh they're old.

But to contradict that, my inlaws and dad are approaching 60, and I wouldn't say any of them are near old.

Yes. I'm in my 50s and while I don't think of myself as old, I presume others see me as old.

No. Do you?

No. 50+ = older person but old is probably 70-75+ & elderly 80-85+

But I now know many people who died in their early to mid 50s, so now I think 50 is a turning point in life - not old exactly, but an age when you could easily die in the next few years, even though you were previously considered fit and well.

😢 This is depressing. True, but depressing! I said to DH a couple of years ago that we are “entering the Decades of Death” and he looked at me horrified. I’d forgotten that, until I read this post and had the same horrified reaction.

If you're 5 years old, 50 is positively ancient.

If you're 49 years old, 50 isn't old at all.

If you're 90 years old, 50 is almost a child.

It's all relative.

I find it old. But i am half way 30.
The thought of me being 50!! Jeez i would feel old.
But by then it becomes normal and then 60 would feel old etc haha

@vickibee

i am 52 and don't feel old. i have a 13 yo son that keeps me young. i guess old is when you get your pension -66plus

I guarantee you won't think that when you reach 66!

Following with interest as Im 50 next year! I think what you consider old changes the older you get, but I am aware that there are a lot of people younger than me now, particularly professionals like dentists, managers, doctors teachers etc and I was so impressed with Bill Bailey in strictly when he dropped to his knees and got up so quickly and smoothly during his first dance😂
Theres no getting away from the fact that not many of us live to 100 so I'm over the half way mark so sadly not really young anymore!
I now think old is 60+ as a rule i think basically I always been anyone more than 10 years older than me!!

I am nearly 50 and didn’t consider myself old before I had to be on constant zoom calls having to look at my very old face all day long. Zoom has made me feel ancient.

Old is 30 years older than me. And always will be. At least until there's no-one that much older, at that point it will be harder to ignore the fact the queue for death's door is shortening.

@LemonsYellow

My view has shifted a lot. I used to think 80 was old. But I now know many people who died in their early to mid 50s, so now I think 50 is a turning point in life - not old exactly, but an age when you could easily die in the next few years, even though you were previously considered fit and well.

I agree with this. To a point anyway, I still don't think of a person being 'old' until 80+. However, in my friendship circle, many of us have lost a parent before they reached 50-60 years old, and a few others have had life threatening/changing illnesses. We live longer in general, but that doesn't mean we all get there in great health.

No certainly don't think 50+ is old.

I won't get to retirement age till I'm 68 so woe betide anyone who tries calling me old before then.

I’ve just turned 62 and my husband is 71, neither of us consider ourselves old. I would say it’s an attitude- my maternal great grandmother used to shop for ‘the old dear downstairs’. The old dear was in her 60’s and great granny was 89....and I seriously wouldn’t have liked to tell her she was old

I class people in their 80s old. In my work I see a lot of 90-100 year olds with children in their 70s!

No. I'm 57 and probably fitter than when I was in my 30s.

I did before I hit 50, but at 51 I would describe myself as middle-aged. Old is 70+ for me, although my mum is 78 and doesn't seem particularly old as she''s in great health and looks great too.

I think it's a state of mind as much as a number, as I've met a lot of people my age who act 'old' and seem it too.

I'm 58 and definitely not old 😁 My dad is 89, independent, drives, and I'm only just thinking of him as old - mostly because of Covid and the need to protect him.

It's relative obviously but being old is also a state of mind and body. I know some thirty-somethings who act like pensioners and I also know some pensioners that have the outlook and energy of teenagers.

I don’t now but I did when I was in my 20s and 30s. Now I’m 51 and have 2 school-aged DDs so I wouldn’t want to think of myself as old.

However, I have CFS and long Covid, so I don’t exactly feel young and fit right now.

OTOH, my DM is 81 and has for many years spent January to March in West Africa, working for the Christian charity she set up. So yes she’s elderly but she’s fitter than I am right now.

95 is old. My dad is 88.

I did when i was 15

No. 65+ is getting old.

I'm 51 with a 6 year old and feel younger than i did at 20 something with 3 little DCs :)

I'm 31 and have lots of friends that are mid-50s and dont consider them to be old. They are quite young at heart though, and I think i'm a bit of an old soul. I think it's a lot about attitude.

When I was 19 and met now DH he had an older friend who was 35 and I remember saying 'God thats OLD!' though....DH turns 35 next year so officially old then by our own standards so I guess it is all relative.

What's the point of your question OP?

I'm in my 50s and although I don't feel old I'm definitely aware of my mortality and the fact that I've had more years of my life than I left left. I'm determined to live every moment.