What age is middle aged? investigation.

[WiseOwl182]

Quite. I think you're old when you point to someone and generalize. It's a fair indication your life is dull.

 

 

I think you're old when your age is old. Nothing to do with generalising. Middle age is 40.

[cassity]

I think you're old when your age is old. Nothing to do with generalising. Middle age is 40.

 

That's fine if you know you're going to die at 80...which you don't.

[WiseOwl182]

That's fine if you know you're going to die at 80...which you don't.

 

Even if you die at 50, you were still middle aged at 40. If you die at 20, you'd not be considered middle aged at 10 with hindsight.

[Mister M]

Mmmm, but there are a lot of very funky, attractive women in their sixties who look terrific: Joanna Lumley 68, Lulu 64, Jane Seymour 68, Helen Mirren, 67ish, and so on. All are fashionable, modern and elegant. Mind you I have seen some awful sights as well, but that can apply to younger woman too.

 

As for 30 year old teenagers not wanting to grow up, who can blame them? Marriage and committment seem to have gone out of fashion, and settling down used to be the time when men and women took responsibility and themselves more seriously. It doesn't help that more and more have to stay at home with Mum and Dad because they can't afford to move out.

 

The great leveller is health. If you're fit and healthy you will probably look, act and behave younger than your age. Ill health is very ageing.

 

Well yes, the women you've quoted can carry it off - in that sense they are ageless. But I wasn't thinking about appearance only - more about how lifestyle magazines & adverts have stretched the definition of adolescence from child to middle age - and it's all based on consumption.

Youth culture too is consumption based, rather than the idea of rebelling against your parents generation...Much of youth culture today is sanitised, predictable and boring.

 

I'm 30, married, settled, taking responsibility and having owned property since my early 20s. Furthermore, most of our friends are in a similar position. How does that stack up against your little rant?

 

So what? Just because you're married and have a mortgage doesn't mean or signify anything.

[WiseOwl182]

 

So what? Just because you're married and have a mortgage doesn't mean or signify anything.

 

 

I don't suppose it does when you quoted out of context. Add the context of AnnaB's post to which I was replying and you will see I was addressing her misplaced stereotyping.

Edited August 27, 2015 by WiseOwl182

[cassity]

Even if you die at 50, you were still middle aged at 40. If you die at 20, you'd not be considered middle aged at 10 with hindsight.

 

So 'middle aged' really has no meaning unless you can put a number to full term.

[crookedspire]

Time for some Crookedspire wisdom, find a age you like and stick with it. If people say you look older just tell them you'll had a hard life.

[cassity]

I was addressing her misplaced stereotyping.

 

With the following stereotyping..

 

I'm 30, married, settled, taking responsibility and having owned property since my early 20s. Furthermore, most of our friends are in a similar position. How does that stack up against your little rant?

 

Most 20yr olds are not property owners/developers even if you have a few friends that are.

[Mister M]

I don't suppose it does when you quoted out of context. Add the context of AnnaB's post to which I was replying and you will see I was addressing her misplaced stereotyping.

 

Well it's not that important, I don't think Anna was stereotyping as you claim; simply remarking about some general trends occurring in wider society (e.g people not being able to move out of their parents and afford a property of your own). And then you said that you and your friends were able to get married & afford your own properties in your 20s.

[WiseOwl182]

Well it's not that important, I don't think Anna was stereotyping as you claim; simply remarking about some general trends occurring in wider society (e.g people not being able to move out of their parents and afford a property of your own). And then you said that you and your friends were able to get married & afford your own properties in your 20s.

 

AnnaB was painting a picture of my generation that I simply don't recognise. I felt it couldn't go unchecked.

 

---------- Post added 27-08-2015 at 21:46 ----------

 

So 'middle aged' really has no meaning unless you can put a number to full term.

 

The full term is the current life expectancy of the human being. This is around 80, so around 40 is middle aged. You could die young having not reached middle age, you could die when you're in your middle age, or you could live until you're old and look back on your middle age. Your outlook on life, how you dress, how old you are when hairs go grey, etc etc, is all incidental and not directly linked to middle age.

 

---------- Post added 27-08-2015 at 21:48 ----------

 

Most 20yr olds are not property owners/developers even if you have a few friends that are.

 

 

Almost without exception, my friends, relatives and colleagues bought houses in their 20s.