Discussion Anyone here struggle with looking way younger than their age?

[Spite]

I'm nearly 30 and I am still sometimes mistaken for someone who is in their late teens (I look about 16-20 depending on various things like hair, clothes, etc). It's humiliating. There are literal teenagers that look more mature and grown-up than I do.

I look freaskishly young for my age and I've noticed throughout my life that because of this, a lot of people take me less seriously, I'm "talked down to", and in the worst case scenario sometimes I am infantilized. It makes me feel so inferior and pathetic. I also hate getting ID checked constantly. There's a place I like to visit that does this to me every time and I have to show my driver's license to be allowed in, and even once I'm in the venue, I feel like people are glaring at me, as if I'm not supposed to be there.

I also hate the random comments and remarks I get from total strangers sometimes. A few weeks ago I was at my job and somebody was like "gosh, you look a bit young to be doing this job!" and another time I was working and it was school holidays and someone assumed I was a student and was like "Wow look at you go! Doing some work over the holidays before going back to school soon huh?" And I'm like "dude I'm 26" (this happened 2 years ago, I'm 28 now).

Why do people feel the need to comment on how I look? It's unfathomable to me. I don't think I have ever once in my entire life felt the need to comment on how a stranger looks, ever. It's genuinely so bizarre and unecessary. What do they get out of it??

 

[Scythe]

I'm not that old, but I still look like a teenager but I don't mind it because I'm stuck in time anyways. Never really changed past a certain age, it's fitting my appearance also stayed the same.

People never took me seriously for whatever reason, online too, even if they don't know my age. So whatever, not that big of a deal to me honestly.

 

[tiramisu]

when i went to buy tiramisu the other day, the cashier asked if i was 18 yet, even though i'm in my mid-20s.

 

[antarctica]

yes and im always self conscious because of it and feeling like an impostor wherever i go. i wonder if it has to do with the way i carry myself because im quite meek. i also get mistaken for a woman as a mid-20s man

when i went to buy tiramisu the other day, the cashier asked if i was 18 yet, even though i'm in my mid-20s.

love your user, tiramisu is my fav thing. i havent had it in a while so you just put the idea in my head to get some sometime soon, haha.

 

[Spite]

yes and im always self conscious because of it and feeling like an impostor wherever i go. i wonder if it has to do with the way i carry myself because im quite meek. i also get mistaken for a woman as a mid-20s man

Happens to me too and I think a lot of the problem is that I look very meek and anxious most of the time. I'm not confident at all. Zero self-confidence and zero self-esteem. I've never really been mistaken for a woman (at least not IRL) but I have been described as 'very effeminate' before.

 

[SASU-KE]

when i went to buy tiramisu the other day, the cashier asked if i was 18 yet, even though i'm in my mid-20s.

Wait a second. You need to be an adult to buy tiramisu in your area?

Spoiler

I'm kidding. I guess he just asked you casually.

 

[iguazo falls]

yeah i hate it. women r so weird about it to me, they treat me like ive walked in with a pikachu backpack and a pink frilly dress, and im the most boring dude youve ever seen.

 

[tiramisu]

Wait a second. You need to be an adult to buy tiramisu in your area?

Spoiler

I'm kidding. I guess he just asked you casually.

not really, but the tiramisu i bought contained almost 2% alcohol. i think cashiers are just very cautious when it comes to selling products containing alcohol.