# What do you consider "middle age"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238 "2014-08-10T15:17:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Natural](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mr.Natural](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Natural)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/1 "2014-08-10T15:17:29Z")
I think life expectancy in the US is about 80 yrs now so, technically, middle age would be about 40, but it’s kind of a subjective term. I’m thinking maybe 38-50. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/2 "2014-08-10T15:26:13Z")
I’d say 40 to 60. Before that, you’re young; after that, you’re old. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/3 "2014-08-10T15:30:39Z")
It begin with those a few years older than me. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/4 "2014-08-10T15:39:12Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’d say 40 to 60. Before that, you’re young; after that, you’re old. I’d say 45-60. And no, 60 years old isn’t the middle of your life, but I don’t think the term to mean your literal middle age. If that were the case, we’d just take life expectancy, cut it in half, and have a good range of what we’re talking about. But it’s an expression, and to me it means mid-40s to just before retirement. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/5 "2014-08-10T16:40:30Z")
Anyone older than I am. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/6 "2014-08-10T16:44:25Z")
Me ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/7 "2014-08-10T16:50:29Z")
If you know somebody three times your age, you’re young. If you know someone twice your age, you’re middle-aged. Otherwise, you’re old. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/8 "2014-08-10T16:53:20Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’d say 40 to 60. Before that, you’re young; after that, you’re old. This exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/9 "2014-08-10T16:57:24Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > If you know somebody three times your age, you’re young. If you know someone twice your age, you’re middle-aged. Otherwise, you’re old. damn. However by that standard most people hit middle age at 28. For me I consider middle age to be 40-55. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/10 "2014-08-10T17:01:21Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I’d say 40 to 60. Before that, you’re young; after that, you’re old. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > If you know somebody three times your age, you’re young. If you know someone twice your age, you’re middle-aged. Otherwise, you’re old. Both of these work for me. I’ll be 64 in a few weeks, and feel like I’m in the early years of old age. No complaints, I’m delighted to have made it this far. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/11 "2014-08-10T18:48:19Z")
40-65 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/12 "2014-08-10T19:20:03Z")
So what are the 30s? I don’t see many people saying middle age starts before 40. I don’t consider 30s to be young adult (that is more the 20s). 30s is something between young adult and middle aged. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/13 "2014-08-10T19:28:22Z")
45 to my age + 5, where “my age” changes each year. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/14 "2014-08-10T19:28:35Z")
Oh, I don’t know. 50ish? I’ll be 51 this year, and though I don’t think I’ll live to see 100, I’d say more than half of my life has passed. All I want is another two decades+ of scooting and possibly more than that of sex. Then I can die with a big grin on my face 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/15 "2014-08-10T19:38:42Z")
We just had a thread on this last month: > **[Middle Age?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=727941)** > > Rather than providing a poll with all the combinations as choices, let me just ask you to define the age limits of Middle Age as you see them. I’ll post periodic summaries (if needed) so the predominant one(s) may become apparent. In my own... ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/16 "2014-08-10T20:11:34Z")
Middle age is 10 years older then I am. So this year - it’s 55. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-consider-middle-age/695238/17 "2014-08-10T20:15:52Z")
“Middle age” is a disease, and there’s a good test for it. Go out your front door and observe the car sitting in your driveway. (If there’s more than one, focus your attention on the one that is indisputably “yours”.) If the following conditions are met: (a) it’s some ridiculously impractical overpowered deathtrap, oozing the essence of what you wish you had had when you were 17, and, (b) you are over 50, then you are in a temporary phase of middle-age insanity – and dangerous! If you’re over 50 but it’s a normal, sane vehicle, then you’re a gracefully aging mentally balanced person. 😛