# When do you become middle aged? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333 "2001-07-05T12:46:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/1 "2001-07-05T12:46:06Z")
My next birthday will be my 44th. Can I legitimately call myself middle aged? I’m putting this in IMHO, because I don’t think there is a definitive answer for this. When did you become middle aged? Do you ever _want_ to get that old? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/2 "2001-07-05T12:52:32Z")
teenager: 13+ adult: 18 (e.g. voting rights - 21 in some societies) middle-aged: 40+ old: 60+ Of course a middle-aged person can be lively, attractive and healthy. (So now you know what age range I’m in!) ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/3 "2001-07-05T12:55:22Z")
I always thought that 40 was the onset of middle age, which is inexpressibly depressing to me because I turn 40 next month. Oh well, it’s better than having to enter the fiery ritual of Carousel at 30. ---
**Author:** ![Marcus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Marcus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcus)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/4 "2001-07-05T13:14:35Z")
I still think of Logan’s Run every now and then. There were some great ideas in that movie - not all original, I dare say, but nicely condensed. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/5 "2001-07-05T13:28:19Z")
I’ve considered myself middle-aged since I turned 30. I figure if I’m lucky, I’ll live to be 90. Young, middle-aged, old, thirty years each. I’ve already used up my quota of lifeclock references for this calendar year. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2001, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/6 "2001-07-05T13:29:23Z")
If you know somebody three times your age, you’re young. Unless you know somebody half again your age, you’re old. In between, you’re middle-aged. hint: currently, the oldest living human (that we know of) is 126. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/7 "2001-07-05T13:33:39Z")
I think it depends on a combination of both your mathmatical abilities, division in particular, and how long you expect to live. You be the judge. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/8 "2001-07-05T13:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\* > > hint: currently, the oldest living human (that we know of) is 126. > \*\* Do you have a source for that? AFAIK, the oldest verified age at all (living or not) was 122 for a woman who lived in France, Jean Calment. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![SteveinSpain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@SteveinSpain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveinSpain)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/9 "2001-07-05T14:13:37Z")
You’re middle aged when it’s more exciting to tinker than dinker. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/10 "2001-07-05T17:18:40Z")
I’ve considered myself middle aged since I was 30, which coincidentally was the year I turned into my mother. So ask yourself, “Have I turned into delphica’s mother?” If the answer is no, then you are still young. If you are not sure, here are some things that might help you determine: Do you turn down the radio when you make a left turn? Do you save wrapping paper? Have you ever kept a Kleenex in your sleeve? Have you ever bought a pair of pants that looked awful, but were _so comfortable_ you just had to have them? ---
**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:** [July 5, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/11 "2001-07-05T17:30:39Z")
Well, it’s not the New York Times, but it’s [something.](http://www.dominicasun.com/05_16_2001/news/other/cycling.html) So, let’s say 126, plus or minus a few. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/12 "2001-07-05T21:41:01Z")
When you go to the bar and realize that kids these days got no taste in music. ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/53a042/32.png) [@Vinnie\_Virginslayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie_Virginslayer)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/13 "2001-07-05T21:46:13Z")
Take your current age, then double it. If you honestly think you will be dead by then, then you are middle aged.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/14 "2001-07-05T21:49:50Z")
**tisiphone,** based on your criterion, I’ve been middle-aged since I was 21. If I’d had a fake ID, I would’ve been middle-aged at 16. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/15 "2001-07-05T22:34:28Z")
::a completely-different take on this:: I wonder whether the North American stereotype of ‘middle-age’ describes a _state of mind_, rather than a specific numerical age. When you stop inquiring, when you always choose ‘comfortable’ rather than ‘new’ or ‘different’, when you stop being driven by the latest fads, and cease trying to understand them… then possibly you are stereotypically ‘middle-aged’. This could be a good or a bad thing: a ‘middle-aged’ person could be maturely and consciously following their own star rather than being a slave to others’ expectations… or they could simply have given up on things and be remaining in the last place they happened to reach. I know a number of peoiple much older than me, who are sharp, interested in the world, and always learning. And ten years ago I knew someone who was younger than me, who seemed to somehow have this aspect of middle age. This train of thought has relatively-little to do with a possible biological definition of middle age. And yet… there _are_ the physical changes that accompany the late thirties and the forties–the slowing of the body, the aches and pains, the loss of youthfulness. In North American culture, youthfulness is equated to attractiveness, completely ignoring issues of self-confidence, personality, and one’s behaviour in the world. So of course it is a great distress to us who are in our late thirties, to face the future. :::aaaiieee:: I think I’ll go hide now… ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/16 "2001-07-05T23:18:59Z")
Middle Age is a moving target. You think that it is fixed until you reach 40, at which point the definition becomes “15 years older than I am”. When I turned 55 I figured I was middle aged. I’ll probably remain middle aged until I’m at least 80. ---
**Author:** ![Carina42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/17 "2001-07-05T23:23:05Z")
**tisiphone, delphica, & SteveinSpain** Thankyou! Thankyou! According to you guys, I am NOT middleaged! **Sunspace** …I was thinking more of the generic constellation of factors that equate middle age. I actually get a kick out of being able to say to young studly guys “I’m old enough to be your _mother_” I have more fun in many ways now than I did 10 years ago, and who wants to be 18 again? :eek: Not I! Physically…My colon is about 7 yrs old because I eat a good diet with lots of fiber & have good genes. 🙂 My left knee, lower back & right shoulder are about 50, due to an overly active lifestyle. I look lots younger than I am & am very fit. Unfortunately my liver & my lungs are probably around 90 due to a partially misspent youth. Somebody dropped a couch on my big toe a year ago; the toenail turned black & fell off, so I have a toenail that is less than a year old. I look dynamite in a bikini, but I have mostly grey hair & alarming stray hairs appearing on my chin occasionally. However, I still like to dinker :D, and I just bought an eminem CD… ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/18 "2001-07-06T00:37:55Z")
I’ve labeled the stages of childhood by milestones rather than ages, but given the rough ages at which each would be expected. Adult stages I chose exact ages by taking the average adult life expectancy (about 80) and dividing the roughly 60 years of adultivity into three categories. 1. Infancy: birth to the ability to walk (about age 2) 2. Early childhood: Infancy to the start of school (2-5) 3. Childhood: Start of school to onset of puberty OR beginning of Jr. High/middle school.(5 through about 11-13) 4. Adolescence: Childhood through end of continuous formal schooling.(18-22): Going to college just out of high school effectively extends adolescence for another four years. 5. Adult: End of adolescence (about age 20) to 39. 6. Middle aged: 40-59 7. Elderly: 60+ Note: I use the term elderly as a general term. A senior citizen is someone at least 55 years old, and the standard retirement age is 65, so either of these can be substituted for elderly as you choose. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/19 "2001-07-06T01:32:42Z")
IMHO, **Number Six** , numerical age isn’t the most important thing. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since my last post, and I still suspect that middle-age is an attitude. This ‘middle age attitude’ seems to kick in when one _concedes defeat_ in life. I see a sad ageing person on the subway, and I think, ‘there is someone who has given up’. This to me is the core of my perception of ‘middle age’. At work, I see the president of our division of the company. Same age, but dynamic, excited about life, with plans and personal power. He is mature. _Not_ middle-aged. When we cease striving, questioning, and learning, do we start dying? Does mental inflexibility precede and influence physical inflexibility? **Carina42** , I’m happy to say that four of the sexiest and most attractive women I know are older than me: age forty or above. Two of them are in their fifties. They are all very different: one is a teacher of World Religions in a Catholic high school, one a Wiccan high priestess, one a programmer, one an artist. But they all are following their inner guide, and they are not letting themselves give up. Whatever their ages, they are NOT middle-aged either. This gives me quite a bit of hope. Unfortunately none of them are on this board. But that only gives me the oppurtunity to say to **Carina42** , “You sure don’t sound middle-aged either!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333/20 "2001-07-06T02:36:31Z")
**Sunspace** The table I presented was a convenient age/milestone based way of looking at it. I present it as a way of determining middle-aged if one wants to go that route. I don’t claim it’s the only one. Certainly one can consider middle-aged to be an attitude rather than an age. But I disagree with you on what that attitude is. You assume that being middle-aged is a bad thing. I disagree. I see having a middle-aged attitude as being different, but not worse than having a youthful attitude. I think of myself as having a middle-aged attitude, but I have not “given up on life.” I am, however, happy with the life I have, and though I am soon to be married, that is a product of my being settled and ready for responsibility. Not being obsessed with pop-culture, being willing to put down permanent roots, not viewing life as a “game” to be won or lost; not measuring success primarily in terms of money and material posessions, but rather in terms of having deep, mature, positive, lasting relationships; these things I consider having a middle-aged attitude. But I think the term can be either merely descriptive or it can have qualitative connotations, depending on the context. When I say that I was in a fender-bender with a middle-aged woman last week, it is understood that I am referring only to her age, and not to any personality qualities she might have. It can work either way, depending on context. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-become-middle-aged/71333.md?page=2)