# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/61 "2005-03-15T15:35:37Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > Well, we might be surrounded by very different people, too. > > My mom has made no bones about how she feels about my career path (or lack thereof, as far as she’s concerned.) In fact, she’s gone so far as to tell me that she doesn’t want to discuss my career or personal life, because even thinking about either of those topics frustrates her immensely. > > No-one’s come right out and said to my face that they think I’m too old to have much potential as a scientist. But I’ve certainly heard some nasty remarks about people’s ages and their supposed lack of achievement. I assume that those remarks would apply to me just as easily as they do to anyone else over 30 and far from a PhD. That’s pretty messed up. Try not to let other people get to you, even if one of them is your mom. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/62 "2005-03-15T15:52:28Z")
No secret: I’m 42. People say I don’t look 42 and I say this is what 42 looks like! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/63 "2005-03-15T19:14:08Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I’m not going to be a teenager any more! _Sob_ Congratulations! I liked my 20’s a _lot_ better than my teens, and so far (I’m 30), I am also liking my 30’s a lot better than I liked my teens. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/64 "2005-03-15T19:36:55Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > Congratulations! I liked my 20’s a _lot_ better than my teens, and so far,…I am also liking my 30’s a lot better than I liked my teens. Me, too. Despite my earlier contributions to this thread. 30 was a pretty good year for me. 31 seems to be shaping up OK, too. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/65 "2005-03-15T22:45:34Z")
I won’t lie about it, but I don’t usually talk about it unless it seems relevant. Well, unless I’m offered an opportunity to zing somebody. I still get pegged as being 5-10 years younger than I am, which is 39. 😃 We’re cryonically preserved, here in the North. I REALLY don’t like admitting it when I game. As soon as I admit I’m old and married, my pool of people to play with seems to evaporate. ☹ Still won’t lie, though. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/66 "2005-03-15T23:53:44Z")
I am proud of having lived to the age of 57. No way would I ever pretend to be younger. I have earned every one of those candles on my cake. I confess, though, that it sometimes tickles me when people assume that I am younger than I am. I take this as a compliment. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/67 "2005-03-16T00:43:45Z")
One of the great lessons I learned from my mom is that age is just a number. It sounds cliche, but it’s true. Mom just turned 59 and she tells me all the time that she’s the happiest she’s ever been in her life. She says that each decade brings her new wisdom and peace of mind, so that getting older is something to enjoy. I’ve taken that attitude to heart. I’ll be 30 in less than two months and I have absolutely no problem with it. The 30 and single part, maybe, but not the number alone. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/68 "2005-03-16T00:48:07Z")
I’ve never bothered to conceal my age. If anyone asks, I just tell him. Most people would be able to guess to within a few years of the correct age anyway. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/69 "2005-03-16T03:29:39Z")
I don’t care if anyone knows my age, nor do I feel bad about my age…(old) Really…who cares? And more importantly, why? If it is just curiosity, I completely understand, but to have problem with it…that is beyond me. Perhaps a fear of growing old, with the normal decline and ultimate demise? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/70 "2005-03-16T03:49:09Z")
You bet I lie about my age, baby, at least socially. I look almost 20 years younger than my age, and I dress that way because I can, so why not? It also boosts my self esteem (and cracks me up) when 19-to- twenty-five year-old guys hit on me (I’m assuming it’s because I look young and not because they like Older Women…!) Incidentally, my boyfriend will be 60 this year, and he also looks a good deal younger than his actual age. Most people assume that he’s my father. Heh. I also think it’s rude to ask a person’s age. I was taught that it’s just rude, period. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/71 "2005-03-16T17:57:56Z")
> [@Creaky](#): > > You bet I lie about my age, baby, at least socially. > > I look almost 20 years younger than my age, and I dress that way because I can, so why not? I am often told that I look younger than my age, too. But by not lying about my age, I get a lot more of a buzz out of being mistaken for a younger person. See the difference… ME: I just celebrated my 57th birthday. OTHER PERSON: No! Really? That’s amazing. You look about 40. What’s your secret? ME: I’m 40. OTHER PERSON: Oh. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/72 "2005-03-16T22:36:21Z")
> [@Creaky](#): > > I look almost 20 years younger than my age, and I dress that way because I can, so why not? Wow. So, do you have any tips for the rest of us? Right now I look my age, if not a little older, but, of course, I’d love to look like I’m my present age when I’m 51. ---
**Author:** ![Thirty-Nine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@Thirty-Nine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirty-Nine)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/73 "2005-03-16T22:47:02Z")
I’d never lie, but I have honestly got it wrong on a couple of occasions. Why shouldn’t I? It changes every year, and I get asked for it so rarely these days. As long as you can remember your birth date, you’re all set. But it still shocks me when somebody gets my age completely wrong. There is a nasty point where looking older than you are ceases to be beneficial. If somebody asks for my age for no reason, I’ll give it, but I’m always a tad sceptical. It’s one of these things that people like to build their expectations around, just like gender, race and nationality. I don’t know of anyone who lies about their age, but then again, how would I know? ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/74 "2005-03-17T03:24:10Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > Wow. So, do you have any tips for the rest of us? Right now I look my age, if not a little older, but, of course, I’d love to look like I’m my present age when I’m 51. I honestly think some of it’s genetic; however, I have been fanatic about staying out of the sun since I was 21. And I mean _really_ fanatic, to the point of ALWAYS using sunscreen, and often carrying an umbrella (or I guess in that case a parasol) on sunny days when I know I’m going to be outside without shade for a long time. Addtionally, I always wear a hat and use sunscreen if I go to the beach —while sitting under a big umbrella (I also don’t go out on the sand until after 3PM), because remember, you can get a burn from the reflection of the sun off of the water and sand. I also use sunscreen and a hat when walking outside for exercise, sightseeing, etc. I use any sunscreen I can find suitable for babies, usually marked SPF 50. Costs between $8-$9 a bottle. I do this whether it’s sunny or not, because the rays that age you aren’t stopped by clouds! I also usually don’t go outside or in the sun at all if I can help it, so outdoor sports, picnics or other events in open fields, etc. are out for me. The one exception I make is for boating, and I make sure I’m slathered and covered. I try to schedule that for after four or so in the summer anyhow, so I only really need to stay armored until about 4:30. Even then, I still have the sunscreen on. I’m serious about this. I NEVER don’t do this stuff. I also use L’oreal Wrinkle Decrease and L’oreal Revitalift Eye Cream twice a day (which I get at Target), plus heavy moisturizer on my whole bod. The L’oreal stuff is awesome; it really seems to work. A lot of the stuff they sell at department stores costs like ten times more and basically contains oil and fragrance, as far as I can tell. (They don’t seem to list ingredients on a lot of the junk… they just give you some vague song-and-dance about “herbal extracts” and "special emollients. Yeah, I got your emollients…!) Finally, I take mounds of vitamins… so many that I practically rattle. Two multivitamins, two vitamin B complex pills, two vitamin E pills, three big ole vitamin C pills, three omega complex pills. I take 'em all at once, with my biggest meal of the day, or else they upset my stomach. This is what I do. I am not a nurse, doctor, or vitamin therapist, so I am speaking only of my own habits and experience. Hope that’s a good start for you! And \*\* pinkfreud\*\*… I love your response! Very clever. Unfortunately, I don’t think that fast. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/75 "2005-03-17T04:57:27Z")
I thought this attitude went out with button-up boots. What on earth is the point about being secretive about one’s age? I doubt the woman in question was passing for 35 or 40 so what’s to be gained? > [@inkleberry](#): > > 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. I’m a boomer (51) and I’ve never met anyone in my age group who lies/tries to hide her age. Some women of my mother’s generation would act coy about their ages but even in that group, trying to hide one’s age was thought silly. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/76 "2005-03-17T13:12:49Z")
I’m forty-two right now. Which is the answer to the question of the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Why would I want to hide that? This year I’ll be 43, which is a nice [Spanish liquer](http://www.licor43usa.com/). Next year I’ll be 44, which is the number of the [magnum](http://firearms.smith-wesson.com/store/index.php3?cat=293607&sw_activeTab=1) which is “the most powerful handgun made”. Year after that I’m a [single](http://cowboymilt.com/single.htm), not an LP. Actually, I usually have trouble remembering exactly how old I am and usually just take the current year and then subtract my birth year to figure it out if someone asks. Since I’m born in July this keeps me about 7 months ahead of the curve. I am going to miss 42, though. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/77 "2005-03-17T13:16:58Z")
I’ve said this before, but it gets a laugh in the right circles. If you aren’t happy aging do what I do - convert - I am 34 in hex. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/78 "2005-03-17T15:40:03Z")
Wow, **creaky** , that sounds like a lot of work. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/79 "2005-03-17T15:44:58Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Only from my Mom. :dubious: Good trick. And no, I don’t ever lie about my age. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343/80 "2005-03-17T18:15:13Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > I’ve said this before, but it gets a laugh in the right circles. If you aren’t happy aging do what I do - convert - I am 34 in hex. That would make me 1D, which makes me an uninteresting character. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-your-age-a-secret/294343.md?page=5)