Ben Keenan, a travel and culture content creator and podcaster, did a great job of saying out loud what many people feel but can’t put into words. When it comes to age, some people feel younger or older regardless of their chronological age. It’s like we get to a certain point where we feel like aging is accelerating, and then, suddenly, context changes, and we feel younger again. Different eras hit differently.
A lot of it has to do with juxtaposing ourselves with our younger or older peers, or whether we are new or experienced in certain phases of life. Like, some people feel like they are an old young person at 39, but suddenly, they hit 40 and feel like a young older person. It’s a beautiful thing knowing that, although you may feel like you’re at an “old age” right now, you may suddenly feel younger on your next birthday.
Which ages are young and which are old (according to Ben Keenan)
21 to 26, YOUNG
27 to 32, OLD
33 to 36, YOUNG
37 to 39, OLD
40 to 45, YOUNG
46 to 49, OLD
50, YOUNG
51 to 52, OLD
53 to 59, YOUNG
60 to 61, OLD
62 to 65, YOUNG
66 to 68, OLD
69 to 74, YOUNG
75 and up, OLD
The video received nearly unanimous love in the comments, where many people tried to explain why Keenan makes so much emotional sense, though it’s a little shaky on logic.
“People call 30 ‘old’ because it’s the first collision with real adulthood—the end of carefree youth. Then 31–36 feels young again as you realize nothing truly changed and you’re still growing, just with more confidence. Around 37–39, life’s weight reappears—aging parents, shifting priorities, subtle reminders of time—so it feels “old” again. But by 40, you’ve accepted it all; you stop comparing, start owning who you are, and that acceptance brings back a sense of youth. Rinse and repeat,” Ulises wrote.
“Can confirm that when I turned 37, I felt old. I turn 40 this week and feel SO YOUNG. I guess I’ll look forward to following your pattern for the rest of my life,” Heather commented.
“When I turned 60 last year, I decided that I’d gone from a very old young person, to a very young old person – the youngest in my cohort. Cheered me right up,” Jane added.
Does the aging process speed up?
Keenan’s post points out that feeling young or old isn’t necessarily a matter of age, but scientists say there are two significant moments in life when we experience spurts in aging. Researchers at Stanford tracked thousands of different molecules in people aged 25 to 75 and found that people tend to make two big leaps—one around 44 and another around 60.
Keenan’s theory of aging and his followers’ rapturous support of the idea should make everyone feel a little better about getting older. If you feel old today, wait a few years, and then you may feel young again. It makes the adage, “Age ain’t nothing but a number,” seem true. According to Keenan, age isn’t really a number, but a phase.
