Anyone else feel ashamed to be young?

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I'm 26 and seem to have spent my entire life wishing I was older. When I was in my teens I went to great lengths to convince people I was 4 years older than I really was - it had nothing to do with acquiring alcohol or getting into clubs but I just wanted people to respect me.

All of my friends are a good 10 - 15 years older than me, and my fiancé is 13 years older than me too - and I don't know how to interact with people more my own age group. Since I went back to uni I haven't managed to say a single word to anyone apart from my tutors. But then I feel really inferior because my friends seem to know more than me about things and be more successful, and it's like I can't understand that is because they have more life experience than me. I constantly feel like being young is something to be ashamed of, and as long as I am alive I will constantly be comparing myself to older people and feeling inferior to them.


Anyone else relate to this?

Because 'adultism' is rampant and unlike other forms of discrimination, such as racism, sexism or ageism (towards older people that is), it's accepted as valid and appropriate.

How often have you been told when you've made a point during an argument 'You're 14/18/20, what do you know?' How often has no one taken that person to task for the logical fallacy? As if it weren't ad hominem when an older person does it to a younger one?

How often has an older person thrown a fit about something minor and that's ok, but when a younger person does it they're labelled as a brat, a delinquent, needs to get their head on straight, etc.

That's adultism right there.

I have felt ashamed at my youth and lack of wisdom on many occasions. Of course, the two do not always go hand-in-hand. I have also on occasion felt ashamed on the behalf of older people who were lacking wisdom.

I do, to an extent, basically because of the rampant ageism towards young people mentioned above. I look several years older then I really am (I could probably pass as 25 if I really tried, I'm 17,) and don't come off as a "normal" teenager when talking (which helps a lot, people will respect that, even if it's in a condescending way.)

HA young


your 26........you're an old fart


in about 10 years....time to retire....another 15....death

It is silly to be ashamed of one's youth. That is how we all start out.

ruveyn

I would love to be older. Of course not for the horrible task I have ahead of me like getting a job, taxes and all the other millions of stuff I'll have to pay for. But because all of my classmates in college are immature and really need to grow up. Sure I'm boring but I'm proud I'm ahead and not one of them. I get along with the teachers more than the class.

I don't. Instead of feeling inferior to older people, I look up to them as pinnacles of wisdom and experience; people whom I have a lot to learn from.

On the other hand, I do feel inferior to people my own age (especially kids whom I went to school with), because they seem to have more life experience than me.

I've never felt ashamed of my age, necessarily, but I often feel out-of-step with people my own age. When I was younger, I used to relate better to older people. But, increasingly, as I get older and my peers are getting, married, having kids, etc, I've noticed I'm starting to relate better to college-age people.

Yes. I do.

Whenever I am in public I feel like people hate me because I am a teenager. I want to be seen as a wise, knowledgeable, experienced person. When people look at me I feel like they are thinking "He's a teenager, I bet he gets drunk at parties, does drugs and sucks at school," when NONE of that is true. So I feel compelled to wear shirts as opposed to hoodies and keep my hair tidy to prove them wrong.

I don't feel ashamed to be young. I've accomplished a lot of things that I've set out to accomplish.