# Do you keep your age a secret? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343 "2005-03-13T16:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/1 "2005-03-13T16:53:13Z")
I was talking to an old friend the other day (old in both senses - I’ve know her over 30 years) and I mentioned something about being 51. OK, I was a bit premature - her birthday isn’t till April. But I wasn’t ready for the diatribe that followed (not directed directly at me, but still…) Last year, one of her other friends put together a cyber-surprise party, and one of the invitees let it out that she was turning 50 that birthday. My friend completely flipped! Even now, almost a year later, she was going on and on about how it was none of their business how old she is and how dare anyone tell her age!! I made a few non-committal sounds and changed the subject, since I was taken completely by surprise. I never understood the whole lying-about-the-age thing, well, except for underage drinkers and fake IDs… But it’s just age. It’s merely an indicator of how long she’s been alive in our reckoning. She’s very active - heck, just a few months ago, she got back from a deployment to Iraq (she’s still a Navy reservist) and she travels a lot for pleasure and with work. So I thought I’d ask here - do you feel compelled to keep your age secret? If so, why? I really am curious - the whole concept eludes me. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/2 "2005-03-13T17:16:15Z")
Nope. Actually, my oddity with my age is I tend to tell people I’m one year older than I really am. You see, when I first went to school I was 4 and all of the other kids were 5 or 6. Somehow I thought it bad to be 4. Especially since I was already bigger than most of the others. So I started telling people I was 5. It was soon a habit and now I find I have to actually think about it in order to tell you my true age. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/3 "2005-03-13T17:20:53Z")
You look how you look and you are who you are so I say no. Age has nothing to do with it except on a negative scale. A person that is 50 but looks 38 has a lot on a person that is 50 but looks 62. People judge you by the way that you look, not how old you are. Having a true appearance under your real age is a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/4 "2005-03-13T17:23:12Z")
I don’t. It’s just bizarre. I think this is something that was popular in Boomer and earlier generations and has now fallen by the wayside. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/5 "2005-03-13T17:27:25Z")
No. I’ve never understood lying about one’s age. Who cares? (Unless there’s a flashing button on your palm, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/6 "2005-03-13T17:29:07Z")
Nah, never lied about my age. There’s been times when I haven’t said it (for example, for entrance for a flee market I was being let in for the under 12 price. I didn’t bother to tell him I was actually 16) but if I’m directly asked I’ll tell my real age. I don’t see any reason to hide it. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/7 "2005-03-13T18:21:36Z")
Nope. Except for lying to buy booze when I was too young, I have never lied about my age. I’m 55. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/8 "2005-03-13T18:32:47Z")
I haven’t lied about my age since I was too young to buy booze. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/9 "2005-03-13T18:35:26Z")
I’m 52, but I swear I look 51. And no, I don’t lie about my age. Or anything else for that matter. Takes too much energy to remember what lie was told to which person. I’m way too lazy for that. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/10 "2005-03-13T18:41:15Z")
I think it’s a silly affectation. I haven’t lied about my age since my friends and I tried to say we were younger so we could get into the movies for children’s prices. Unhappily it didn’t work for long in a small town where people mostly knew what school and grade you were in. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/11 "2005-03-13T18:41:56Z")
I have to lie about my age. I would be banned if any mod or admin found out I was only twelve. ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/12 "2005-03-13T18:47:12Z")
Haven’t lied about my age since I turned 21. In my case it was an ego thing not NOT lie about it because until recently I looked younger than my true age. I loved the response “\*Why you don’t look \_\_\_\_!” \* Now that I’m 62 and look it, I don’t get that ego-boosting response anymore. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/13 "2005-03-13T18:47:33Z")
I don’t lie about it, but I think it’s extremely rude for someone to ask. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/14 "2005-03-13T18:48:26Z")
I’m not at an age where it would even make sense, but no, I don’t. And I wouldn’t, ever. What the hell’s the point? Lying about your age doesn’t actually make you look any younger. I’ve never known anyone who hid their age, either. My mom and her sisters joke about it, but they don’t actually _do_ it. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/15 "2005-03-13T19:30:44Z")
I never lie about my age, but people frequently think I’m younger than I am (baby face, never ever go out in the sun). I did have a little spaz out when I turned thirty, not because I was “old” but because I thought I should have accomplished something of note. I’m 32 now. When people ask me my age, I sometimes have to think about it. Bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/16 "2005-03-13T19:35:23Z")
I n2ver M5tion my age. n2t 5ver. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/17 "2005-03-13T20:28:09Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > I don’t lie about it, but I think it’s extremely rude for someone to ask. Mind if I ask why you think it’s rude? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/18 "2005-03-13T20:37:04Z")
As you may recall, I freaked out about turning 50 a couple of months ago – but it was more a conceptual thing than anything else (“yikes! half a century!”). I never have lied about my age, and can’t anticipate any reason for doing so in the future. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/19 "2005-03-13T20:40:46Z")
I think it’s a bit rude to ask. It’s almost like asking my weight. It’s something that friends will ask, but not something that you ask a co worker or casual acquaintance. Like others, I haven’t lied about my age since I turned 21. I’m 38 and my age doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I don’t really like to be told “but you seem so much younger.” I’m not sure why. I know it’s meant as a complement, but there’s nothing wrong with being 38. ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/20 "2005-03-13T23:21:48Z")
I don’t keep my age a secret but I forget my age a lot. For me it’s because I always get geared up to be older and then start thinking I’m actually already that old. I’m obsessed with people’s ages. I love imdb because I can find out anyone’s age there. I think it’s because of my fear of mortality. I ask people’s ages a lot. Maybe I should stop. I never thought it might be rude. I don’t mind telling mine. I can’t really imagine why someone would lie. It’s just an invitation for someone to think you look like hell for your age. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343.md?page=2)