# If you were immortal, how old would you want to appear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037 "2010-06-21T20:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/1 "2010-06-21T20:38:56Z")
So you get to become immortal (well, perpetually youthful), immune to disease, able to completely regenerate from any injury that doesn’t kill you outright. The only catch, if you can call it that, is that you have to pick what apparent age you will look like (you’ll have the strength and health of youth, regardless of your exterior appearence); and once that’s locked in you’re stuck, no second chances. So how old would you want to spend (with luck) the next 10,000-20,000 years looking like? I’m going to forbid “infant” or “toddler” as choices because of the presumption that one’s cranium simply wouldn’t be large enough to hold a brain of adult capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/2 "2010-06-21T20:44:47Z")
Looking very old (say, 70s or 80s) would probably make it easier to keep your immortality hidden. In any given social circle, people would just say “Oh, yeah, he’s an old-timer, been here longer than I have, I don’t know how long”, without necessarily realizing that you looked just as old when they first met you. It’s a bit tougher when someone has known you for 50 years and you still look like you’re 20. Alternately, if you do ever decide you want to go public, looking old will probably make that easier for people to accept, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/3 "2010-06-21T20:47:25Z")
Middle Aged (well, around 40-ish). Because you’re unlikely to be drafted in a war and more likely to be treated with a bit more respect. Also a lot easier to live a fake life and move on every 20 years or so, as you can simply change your hair and clothing style to appear 35-ish and “age” through to the mid-50’s before disappearing, changing your name and creating a new life somewhere else. If you look 20, you can’t go more than about 10 years before it is going to become very suspicious. You’re also going to get drafted first, get turned away from things that require you to be older (can’t rent a car unless you’re 25, etc) and treated like a kid for ten thousand years. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/4 "2010-06-21T20:48:08Z")
Mid to late 20s, I think. Then, it’s not creepy when I hit on supermodels (because if Im immortal, Id end up super rich… Hopefully), and it’s acceptable for me to make stupid fuck ups that’s I’d inevitably make as society changes. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/5 "2010-06-21T20:52:29Z")
I’m assuming “strength and health of youth” includes a healthy sex drive and ability. I wouldn’t want to appear to be below the age of consent, or so old as to be unattractive to young people. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if, 100 years from now, scientific and medical progress allows people of all ages to appear youthful, so an immortal fated to look elderly might be freakishly out of place within a relatively short time. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/6 "2010-06-21T20:58:57Z")
> [@palindromemordnilap](#): > > In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if, 100 years from now, scientific and medical progress allows people of all ages to appear youthful, so an immortal fated to look elderly might be freakishly out of place within a relatively short time. That was what I was going to post. I choose “young adult”, so that 200 years from now people don’t think of me as that “withered looking weirdo”. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/7 "2010-06-21T21:19:22Z")
I would say between 30 & 35, old enough to be taken seriously as an adult, and young and attractive enough to enjoy the benefits of youth. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/8 "2010-06-21T21:27:20Z")
I liked Corwin’s answer (an immortal) in Zelazny’s _Chronicles of Amber_ when asked his age by a doctor while recuperating in a hospital: “About thirty-six.” “Funny, that’s about what you looked the last time I saw you” (about 7 years earlier). “Clean living.” ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/9 "2010-06-21T21:27:29Z")
I’d want to be in my mid to late 20s. I can still hit on all of the hot young ladies but get all of the benefits of age; cheap insurance, ability to rent a car, etc. It’s also old enough that you won’t get weird looks for doing ‘grown up’ things but young enough that you can still do immature kid things with out being looked down on. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/10 "2010-06-21T21:33:38Z")
I picked “middle aged” but I wasn’t happy with the choices. To me, “young adult” would mean somebody in the 17-25ish range–old enough to be considered an adult, but young enough that they might be less likely to get the respect due a full adult. My real choice would be somewhere in the 30-35 range, which seemed closer to “middle age” than “young adult” in the available choices. Hence I picked the lesser of two evils. I would have liked to have seen one more category in between “young adult” and “middle aged.” That’s the one I’d pick. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/11 "2010-06-21T21:35:22Z")
> [@lexi](#): > > I would say between 30 & 35, old enough to be taken seriously as an adult, and young and attractive enough to enjoy the benefits of youth. Concur. I’d want to look old enough to know how, and young enough to still enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/12 "2010-06-21T21:39:16Z")
I picked “Young Adult” - ie, my 20’s. Why? Because that’s when I was at my most attractive and skinniest. And I doubt that the societal emphasis on women being young, pretty, and skinny will go away anytime in the next 100 years. Who knows, I may regret it. But for the immediate future, that’d probably be the best age range to be stuck at. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/13 "2010-06-21T23:02:08Z")
Late 30s, early 40s - enough to look old enough to generally be respected. I do like the reasoning behind **Chronos** ’ answer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/14 "2010-06-22T00:59:59Z")
Other: in Flash Vol 2 annual, there’s a dude who rejuvenates his body when he feels like it, aging normally, but able to reset the clock back to childhood or teens or whatever. In the comic, he was on his 19th cycle or something. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/15 "2010-06-22T03:15:03Z")
Mid 30s for me too. You would have to move more than if you picked an older age, but you’d be young enough to fit in most social situations. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/16 "2010-06-22T03:19:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Looking very old (say, 70s or 80s) would probably make it easier to keep your immortality hidden. In any given social circle, people would just say “Oh, yeah, he’s an old-timer, been here longer than I have, I don’t know how long”, without necessarily realizing that you looked just as old when they first met you. It’s a bit tougher when someone has known you for 50 years and you still look like you’re 20. > > Alternately, if you do ever decide you want to go public, looking old will probably make that easier for people to accept, too. You’re putting way too much thought into secrecy. You can pretty much just tell the truth and everyone assumes you’re joking. Trust me, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/17 "2010-06-22T03:39:26Z")
I’d be really interested to see how the answers break down between the sexes. I would imagine (pulled out of ass here) women would be more likely to pick a younger age than men, because younger women tend to get more attention than middle-aged ones, whereas for men it’s the reverse. I certainly don’t identify with the ppl saying “late 30’s early 40’s and you get more respect” I picked young adult, FWIW ---
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/18 "2010-06-22T04:34:14Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I picked “middle aged” but I wasn’t happy with the choices. To me, “young adult” would mean somebody in the 17-25ish range–old enough to be considered an adult, but young enough that they might be less likely to get the respect due a full adult. My real choice would be somewhere in the 30-35 range, which seemed closer to “middle age” than “young adult” in the available choices. Hence I picked the lesser of two evils. I would have liked to have seen one more category in between “young adult” and “middle aged.” That’s the one I’d pick. Pretty much exactly my thought process. I’m 25 now, and I’d like a little less of the “whippersnapper” type of comment if I’m going to have to put up with my looks for all of eternity. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/19 "2010-06-22T04:34:28Z")
1. Well, really! Ja- I mean, Roddy ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037/20 "2010-06-22T04:53:20Z")
Late 20s. When I had hair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-were-immortal-how-old-would-you-want-to-appear/544037.md?page=2)