At what age is a person considered old?

[Refresher]

I'd say 70, what do you think?

 

[Which Roger]

When I was in 6th grade, I had a friend who had a 19-year-old-brother. That was old.
When I was 29, I found out my sister had a 40-year-old friend. That was old.
Now that I'm in my mid-50s, I don't think as much about age, but rather about how a person looks and feels. Some relatively-young people seem old to me, and vice versa.

 

[happy2bretired]

5 years beyond my current age.. Moving target


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[eytonxav]

It depends on the person, not all 70 yo are equal.

 

[Lcountz]

When they become "invisible".

Today that's about 45.

 

[Amethyst]

Retirement communities are called "over-55," so that's a clue to general thinking. All other thinking is highly specific to the person doing it

Granted, most residents in those places are vastly older than 55.

The age to get "senior citizen" benefits is usually 62 or 65, so there's another clue to general thinking.

Then again, in Brazil (I think) they have a law that anyone 60 or over gets to go to the head of any lines, and this has caused much discord because many people who legitimately take advantage of this law, appear quite spry and youthful to the other people standing in line.http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-slow-brazil-edit-0722-md-20160721-story.html

 

[Calico]

10 years older than me, whatever my current age may be.

 

[Big_Hitter]

75

 

[2017ish]

Subjectively: I see a few people my age (56) who are "old." My in laws definitely did not seem old at 75; all of a sudden, at around 85, they were. My dad was "old" in his late 60s, even before his Lung CA diagnosis. Mom, early 70s...

"Objectively," I can go with 65 or FRA--but before that time there are quite a few subjectively old people. (DW says "looks as if s/he was ridden hard and put down wet" ...)

 

[aja8888]

I'd say 70, what do you think?

Really? Heck, I'm 72 and hang out with guys that are in there late 50's and 60's. I am very active and when people guess my age, they peg me at early to mid 60's.

It's all how you have taken care of yourself over the years and having good exercise habits.

I look at people in their late 80's as candidates for being classified as old, but there are exceptions to that age also.

 

[RetireAge50]

Deleted because I agree with RunningBum below.

 

[RunningBum]

What is the point of classifying and labeling people?

 

[Sunset]

Varies with the age of the viewer.

When I was 16 , there was a saying "don't trust anyone over 30"

I used to think 60 yr olds were crippled old folks, now I think of them as hot chicks

 

[athena53]

"Objectively," I can go with 65 or FRA--but before that time there are quite a few subjectively old people. (DW says "looks as if s/he was ridden hard and put down wet" ...)

Yeah, partly a function of your point of view, partly someone's physical/mental state. There's a woman in my church who, to me, is the personification of "rode hard and put up wet". Very thin hair, a few missing teeth, walks with difficulty, on oxygen. I found out she's "only" 55. I'm 63 and typing this from a recumbent bike in the gym. Makes me wonder what kind of a life she's had, but it was undoubtedly harder than mine.

 

[2017ish]

Yeah, partly a function of your point of view, partly someone's physical/mental state. There's a woman in my church who, to me, is the personification of "rode hard and put up wet". Very thin hair, a few missing teeth, walks with difficulty, on oxygen. I found out she's "only" 55. I'm 63 and typing this from a recumbent bike in the gym. Makes me wonder what kind of a life she's had, but it was undoubtedly harder than mine.

Yep. My younger brother (by 2 1/2 years) seems older than me. Blue collar, outdoor worker, let himself go on weight, and has had some health issues. Not that I'm "young" (as my sons will not-so-gently remind me!), but physiologically, I'm almost certainly younger than my bro.

 

[Walt34]

10 years older than me, whatever my current age may be.

What he said.

 

[Big_Hitter]

What is the point of classifying and labeling people?

the same reason there are stereotypes - they are true 99% of the time

 

[Dawg52]

92. Got another good 30 in me.

 

[Another Reader]

10 years older than me, whatever my current age may be.

Yep.

 

[W2R]

I'm 68, so I'd just have to say 80. Some people in their 70's seem pretty young.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

I don't know, but I hope I die before I get there.

 

[Major Tom]

When I first started what we called primary school in England (I think that's kindergarten to Americans isn't it?) the girls in the top class were 9 years old. They were Amazonian in stature, graceful, knowledgeable and worldly. They were completely untouchable, and about as old as anyone I could imagine - except for the adults, but they were different. Those grown-ups were a whole other species

Yes, 9 years-old represented the human creature absolutely at it's peak, so I guess really old would have been 12 or 13.

 

[FUEGO]

I used to think 50. Now some of my friends who have kids the same age as ours are 50 or turning 50 this year. 50 isn't that old any more. None of the 50 year olds I know use walkers, for example.

 

[Car-Guy]

I used to think 60 yr olds were crippled old folks, now I think of them as hot chicks

Older "hot" chicks or hot flashes? Maybe they are just experiencing late menopause....

10 years older than me, whatever my current age may be.

+2 (Unless I'm getting a senior discount somewhere)

 

[ziggy29]

Well, this is an interesting question. Baby Boomers are hitting their 70s now and they are (as a group) well known for rejecting the idea that they are old. As they age it seems like the definition of "old" changes. First 50 was the new 40, now 70 is the new 50. Or so it seems sometimes.

That said, old is a state of mind and lifestyle choice to a large degree. I know people in their 70s and 80s who are way more vital and (yes) "hip" in some ways than people in their 50s and 60s. So do we mean "old" as a chronological measure or "old" as a state of being?