# Do you think you look younger than others your age? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953 "2012-05-15T02:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/141 "2012-05-21T18:48:18Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I don’t regard my own perceptions as useful because I’m somewhat biased on the subject of myself. But that bias is the _point_ of this thread. So your own perceptions _are_ useful; at least here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/142 "2012-05-21T19:15:55Z")
I am 40-something. I’m not heavier than I was in high school. I’m not wrinkled, not bald, but I do have some grey hairs on the lower back of my head. I think I look younger than others my age, but am not sure what others think about me. We need a site called [GuessMyAge.com](http://GuessMyAge.com), sort of like the old [HotOrNot.com](http://HotOrNot.com). Ah, more than one site like that already exists: [http://www.howoldami.com/](http://www.howoldami.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/143 "2012-05-21T21:24:23Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > As coy as you’re deliberately being about it I think she’s a lot closer than you care to admit. Coy? I honestly and truly meant exactly what I said. I don’t discuss my age so that I don’t screw myself out of roles unnecessarily. There’s nothing more to it than that. I’m not sure why y’all are looking so hard for some hidden meaning that isn’t there. I don’t care if you – or a casting agent – thinks I’m 20 or 50, if it’ll get me the audition. Unfortunately casting agents, directors, and sometimes talent agents lack in imagination. If someone _tells_ them that she’s a 25 year old Hispanic, then that’s the only roles they’ll think of her for, regardless of her ability to pass as a 32 year old Italian (or whatever). (Hell, I’m considering getting new headshots that show me in a variety of character types, just so I can “prove” that I can convincingly look like more than one type with simple changes in clothing and posture.) End hijack. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/144 "2012-05-21T22:52:22Z")
Okay, [give me a try](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IVtFvfXv3cw/TjBdgyDiwxI/AAAAAAAADc4/DIqSH__uw0U/s640/DSCF0008.JPG). I’m about 15 pounds lighter now than I am in this pic (from last summer). Birth mother on the left, adoptive mother on the right. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/145 "2012-05-21T22:53:49Z")
> [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](#): > > Actually, I thought I looked young for my age a few years ago, but then lost about 30 pounds. Now that I’m on the skinny side of average, I think I look my age…if not older. > > Strange… > [@Ambivalid](#): > > Not really; losing a (fairly) significant amount of weight can make one’s face appear gaunt and make the lines and wrinkles stand out that much more. I’ve seen it with quite a few people. In my case everyone told me that I looked younger (after I dropped 50 pounds). I recall my dad at a similar age losing a lot of weight, and suffering from the problem you describe. He in his vanity promptly put it all back on-and suffered from heart disease during the last 10 years of his life. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/146 "2012-05-21T22:58:24Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Coy? I honestly and truly meant exactly what I said. I don’t discuss my age so that I don’t screw myself out of roles unnecessarily. There’s nothing more to it than that. I’m not sure why y’all are looking so hard for some hidden meaning that isn’t there. I don’t care if you – or a casting agent – thinks I’m 20 or 50, if it’ll get me the audition. > > Unfortunately casting agents, directors, and sometimes talent agents lack in imagination. If someone _tells_ them that she’s a 25 year old Hispanic, then that’s the only roles they’ll think of her for, regardless of her ability to pass as a 32 year old Italian (or whatever). (Hell, I’m considering getting new headshots that show me in a variety of character types, just so I can “prove” that I can convincingly look like more than one type with simple changes in clothing and posture.) > > End hijack. Lots of people put their pictures in this thread for people to guess their ages so people could see if they looked younger or older than they are. You put your picture in this thread. If it wasn’t for us to guess your age, what was the purpose? ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/147 "2012-05-21T23:17:57Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > Lots of people put their pictures in this thread for people to guess their ages so people could see if they looked younger or older than they are. You put your picture in this thread. If it wasn’t for us to guess your age, what was the purpose? Actually, I withdraw this question. When you originally posted these in the thread they looked familiar to me. After your last response I thought it was an odd reaction until I remembered the original place I saw these shots. You did a thread about them asking for opinions and then got quite upset with the responses. I have no desire to get involved in that fiasco so let’s just pretend this conversation ended with you saying \*\*MeanOldLady \*\*was wrong about your age. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/148 "2012-05-22T00:20:45Z")
I don’t think I look particularly young. However, last summer I went to my 30th high school reunion. I looked younger than some of the women I graduated with but quite a few of them have been through menopause whereas I have not. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/149 "2012-05-22T02:28:20Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Okay, [give me a try](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IVtFvfXv3cw/TjBdgyDiwxI/AAAAAAAADc4/DIqSH__uw0U/s640/DSCF0008.JPG). I’m about 15 pounds lighter now than I am in this pic (from last summer). Birth mother on the left, adoptive mother on the right. 1. ---
**Author:** ![surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@surrounded\_by\_literalists](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surrounded_by_literalists)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/150 "2012-05-22T02:52:56Z")
Its not that I look younger, its that I am monstrously immature, but in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/151 "2012-05-22T05:23:21Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > You put your picture in this thread. Uh, no I didn’t. > [@](#): > > When you originally posted these in the thread they looked familiar to me. 😕 Where are you getting the idea I posted pictures in this thread? I never asked anyone to guess my age, in this thread or the previous one. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/152 "2012-05-22T05:46:41Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > You did a thread about them asking for opinions and then got quite upset with the responses. I have no desire to get involved in that fiasco… Neither do I appreciate you grossly mis-characterizing an old thread to… what? smear me? What _are_ you doing? The old thread isn’t even on topic here. I have no idea what bee got in your bonnet, but I’d say _this_ is a pretty bizarre reaction. You’re making up things out of whole cloth, attributing them to me, then trying to end the conversation to have the last word, and I can’t imagine why you’re so invested in some stranger on the internet that you’d bother doing that. The only drama here has been manufactured by you. Along with some photos posted of me, apparently. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/153 "2012-05-22T06:59:02Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Neither do I appreciate you grossly mis-characterizing an old thread to… what? smear me? What _are_ you doing? The old thread isn’t even on topic here. I have no idea what bee got in your bonnet, but I’d say _this_ is a pretty bizarre reaction. You’re making up things out of whole cloth, attributing them to me, then trying to end the conversation to have the last word, and I can’t imagine why you’re so invested in some stranger on the internet that you’d bother doing that. > > The only drama here has been manufactured by you. Along with some photos posted of me, apparently. 😛 Incorrect, but I can see why you’d want to paint it this way. In this thread many folks posted pictures of themselves inviting others to guess their age to see if they are correct that they look younger/older/their age. You posted your picture along with several assurances that bartenders and casting agents consider you to look so much younger you shock them. **MeanOldLady** guesses your age as around 38 in post #108 and simply asks if she is in the ballpark. You come back to that question and give no answer except that as long as people will consider you for a part 12 years younger than your age you’ll not put your age in writing. \*\*MeanOldLady \*\*comes back to your duck/dodge answer and figures that your answer tells her that she came pretty close. You felt you needed to let her know that no, she did not hit the ballpark on your age. I thought you were being evasive and coy about your age in a thread that is only about that very thing. YOU chose to not only post here but to provide pictures to prove your apparent youthfulness as (by your answers) I daresay you were expecting us to guess you older. This odd behavior to jump in with pictures and then be miffed made me remember where I saw those pictures you posted before as they did seem familiar. [Your thread here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=547321). You posted the same pictures and asked leading questions of everyone not sharing why you wanted the answers. Fair enough, absolutely. You got some fair criticism as well as some stupid responses. You seemed to get upset (no, I’m not making up anything, other people in the thread call you on it) by anything that wasn’t flattering and pretty much tell us all that since we’re not in the industry it doesn’t matter what our opinions are. Odd behavior from someone who asked for opinions. So you can say I’m mis-characterizing or trying to smear you or whatever. I simply thought it was odd that you’d willingly jump into this thread and then act so secretive about revealing the answer. I’m flattered you think it’s because I’m _so_ invested in you, but it’s simply not so. I just happened to notice the behavior here and remember your behavior before. The pictures you posted just made it easier to pinpoint where it came from. That’s all, I’m afraid it’s no great mystery as disappointing as that may be. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/154 "2012-05-22T07:08:19Z")
Also, apologies to \*\*Ambivalid \*\*for hijacking. I just thought it was weird to solicit age guesses and then not answer. Ending my portion of the hijacking now. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/155 "2012-05-22T07:09:05Z")
Just for the record, **Sleeps With Butterflies** , **Kaio** didn’t post her picture in this thread. I’m guessing **MeanOldLady** looked her up in the SDMB portrait gallery. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/156 "2012-05-22T07:14:38Z")
My bad on that then, for sure. I could have sworn they were linked here but apparently not, thanks for letting me know. Back to ending my portion of the hijacking. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/157 "2012-05-22T07:18:04Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > I just thought it was weird to solicit age guesses and then not answer. And I think it’s weird that you’re insisting that I posted photos in this thread and solicited age guesses when I did not. And then drag up a completely unrelated thread which you apparently haven’t read any more closely than this one. On Edit: > [@](#): > > My bad on that then, for sure. I could have sworn they were linked here but apparently not, thanks for letting me know. Back to ending my portion of the hijacking. Nice that you’re just “ending” it now that you’ve (finally) accepted/realized your mistake. Would you like to say something to me for your accusations? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/158 "2012-05-22T13:41:40Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > Just for the record, **Sleeps With Butterflies** , **Kaio** didn’t post her picture in this thread. I’m guessing **MeanOldLady** looked her up in the SDMB portrait gallery. I remember her photos from the thread where she asked for opinions of her headshots. She did get pretty butthurt by some of the criticisms. To be fair to Kaio, though, some of the responses were pretty left-field and unnecessarily harsh. Anyway, back to the OP, roughly 100% of people (+/- .01%) of people who swear to baby Jesus in the manger that they look sooo young are delusional. This is true. My post is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953/159 "2012-05-22T14:42:45Z")
There’s nothing like teaching children to keep you humble. Students are always intensely curious about teachers’ ages for some reason. “How old are you?” “How old do I look?” “You look like you’re 40!” “Oh yeah? Well you look like a kid who wants some extra homework!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-you-look-younger-than-others-your-age/621953.md?page=7)