I think it’s that you don’t feel older mentally. I though I would feel a certain maturity once I reached an age where I had a solid, advancing career and owned a house. Turns out, I feel pretty much the same and am just better at dealing with things that arise and pretending that I’m mature. My body hurts more and my face looks older, but I don’t feel all that different. I’m sure I’ve mentally changed to some extent, and I notice it more when I talk to younger people, but I still feel the same.

This. Still feel and act as I did at thirty. This is going to get sad eventually.

I used to think this. I was in my late 20s but still felt like a teenager in my head.

At some point in the last few years, after I crossed into my early 30s, I realized that wasn’t true anymore. I don’t feel like a teenager anymore, I just feel like a 20 something now.

Maybe it stopped because when I’m around teenagers, I realize how much distance I feel from them. Not in a “kids these days” way, just in a general sense. A feeling like …oh…I’m not like this anymore. I remember being like this, but haven’t been like this in a while.

I certainly don’t feel my age, but my “internal age” (so to speak) has progressed a bit. I guess it’s a sliding scale.

I’m in my sixth decade.

Same for me. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore, and fairly much everything is small stuff now.