A 2019 survey found that globally, we think old age begins at 66. When asked to describe it, we usually use the term wise (35%), followed by frail (32%), lonely (30%), and respected (25%).
People believe we should prepare for this period of our lives by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet (60% and 59% respectively), saving enough money for an adequate pension (51%), and avoiding smoking as well as having a good circle of friends and having a sport or hobby (45%, 44%, and 44% respectively).
But sometimes no matter how much you plan, you still don't fully understand what lies ahead until you start experiencing it.
Interested in the challenges that come with the years, Reddit user Fainne-Wu posted a question on the platform, asking "What's the hardest part about getting older?" Here are the most popular answers.
#1
With each passing day, my chance to see the world passes. I don't have the money to travel as much as I want, and I know I will die missing out on so much. It's a sad reality for everyone, but it's still hard to handle.
Image credits: Nathann4288
#2
I’m really old...the two hardest parts are having almost everyone you've ever known die, so your entire history dies with them, and losing mobility one way or another. Sucks.
Image credits: challam
#3
For me, it's just losing that feeling of innocence you had in your youth. Like seeing your crush in class and imagining a relationship in your head. Hanging out with good friends and all it was was swimming, eating junk food, watching movies. No alcohol or d***s, just a family sized dorito bag and Dr. Pepper. It's hard to put it into words, but I miss that feeling when you and your crush would sit on some bleachers and you felt nothing could go wrong. No worrying about sex or marriage, just you and the person of your affections just talking about life, nearly holding hands. When you get older you lose the excitement of so many firsts. Your first kiss, your first time sneaking out, your first time walking around a mall without parental guidance, first this and first that. Life just felt so exhilirating. The feeling begins to fade out as you get older and it's hard. Those times were so happy and stupid.
Image credits: catherinecrunch
#4
Seeing my parents get older.
Image credits: anon
#5
When I (female) was young I spent a lot of energy fending off unwanted attention and harassment. Not every day but enough.
Now that I am older and have started to naturally age I feel pretty much invisible to everyone.
There are pros and cons to this of course.
Image credits: SmallWhiteFloof
#6
I could sound like a broken record that's been heard by all generations but the truth is, as you get older, the healing process gets slower and you end up in pain for longer periods of time, you'll hit a threshold where trying to work out the pain only makes it worse.
Image credits: EnyaGotGame
#7
You regret not doing things earlier.
Image credits: shezofrene
#8
Realizing your death is getting closer and your dreams will not come true.
Image credits: welat_01
#9
Your body changes in ways that you don't want it to.
#10
Time is perceived faster for some reason. Everything speeds up and you're still trying to catch up. In some ways it's good, like making the work day go by quicker, but it's bad in other ways like having less time for friends and the hobbies you used to be able to devote many more hours to.
#11
The complete inability to sleep in.
The older you get the earlier your body wakes you up. You don't necessarily need to be up for anything on Saturday or Sunday morning but your body has decided you need to go to work on your off days. When you're a teenager and in college sleeping 12-14 hours when you have nothing to do is completely normal and acceptable.
I would pay $100 a night if I could get 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep and actually feel well rested when I wake.
Image credits: anon
#12
My husband and I opted not to have children. I still don't regret the decision, but I do wonder what will happen to me when I'm older. I'm 65 now, but if I lose my husband, I will be alone, and that scares me.
#13
Accepting it.
Image credits: sneakyBener
#14
Losing my voice. I used to have a nice singing voice. I sang harmony well and enjoyed singing along with the radio and alone. It brought me a lot of joy, but now, my voice sounds like I have a permanent cold. I also used to play the flute competently, but now I can no longer reach the high notes. It's hard to accept. I don't think younger people realize that the talents you had in your youth might not be there after the age of 70.
Image credits: Mimi
#15
I'm only 24, but seeing people you care for die has to be the one.
One quote that hit me hard is: "One sibling will never have to bury his brothers and sisters, while one will have to bury them all".
#16
The potential of the future gets smaller.
When you're young you could potentially achieve so many things at some point in the future.
The worst part about getting older is when you reach a point where you realize that realistically some of those things are off the table for good now, and you're never going to be able to do them. It's like climbing a tree and each branch you take closes off some of what's at the ends of the other branches.
Slowly your destination is narrowing down. Slowly you're reaching what will turn out to be your full potential, what your life will turn out to be, and all those other things are just dreams.
Image credits: Salt-Pile
#17
Slow metabolism. damn i get fatter as i age.
#18
Someone on here said something before like "not knowing when the good ol days were"
And it's true. You don't know those days are over until they're behind you. And sometimes, if you're lucky, you can have multiple times in your life that are like that. I hope that rings true for the rest of you.
Image credits: daydrinkingwithbob
#19
Grey pubes
looks like i have a badger stuffed down my undies
life is cruel.
#20
52 here. It's a real toss up. First, our only kid is grown up and gone and we really liked being parents. I'm truly proud of him, but miss him desperately.
Second, taking care of my elderly mother who has dementia has made me feel old like nothing else, ever.
Image credits: CoreyGilligan
#21
Facing and overcoming shortcomings you didn't know you had.
#22
Feeling your body get worse while your mind doesn't seem to age.
#23
Feeling that I no longer have anything of value to contribute. No one really cares about my life experiences. I'm yesterday's news.
Image credits: John
#24
Not being allowed to eat all the good things you enjoyed when you were younger: sweets, salty things, fries, bread, etc. When you're older, all those things either get you sick or sicker.
#25
It is increasingly more difficult, expensive, and complicated to do something about a career rut and/or the need to break out and retrain for something else. That, and discovering real talents and passions for things that you realistically have no time or possibility to pursue because you wasted your younger years working jobs you hated to chase someone else's dream.
#26
It becomes more difficult to make new friends, even as your closest ones move away, die, or just "drift apart" over time.
Image credits: anon
#27
The condescending attitude of young people.
#28
The pain! The pain! Everything hurts so quickly.
#29
Picking things up from the floor without yelling something out.
#30
Getting both more responsibility and freedom.
Like you could do anything, but that could also f**k you up. And there's no one to stop you from doing that.
Image credits: Faris_rulez
#31
Back pain.
#32
Recovery time. I'm 28.
I remember being 18 and 21. Going to a metal show, moshing for the whole show, getting drunk, wake up the next morning at noon and being fine.
Well I did that recently this year. 3 days later and my ribs still hurt....
#33
I’m only 24 but I’ve burried 4 family members since I was 18, and another has terminal cancer at the moment. I live in constant fear that someone else is about to die, and the hardest part is knowing that my fear is a valid one that will eventually keep coming true if I live long enough.
#34
Reflecting on the past hoping you could change certain aspects of your life. Sometimes asking yourself what if I had done one random thing differently? Realizing now this is your life and there is no going back or do overs. The tough reality that it’s hard. You had goals and hopes that you never quite achieved. Constantly asking yourself why you didn’t die sooner and telling yourself there is still time to go that route. But also fearing death.
Image credits: BullyBeater
#35
Referring to body parts as "My good leg or my bad Bad" rather than "left leg or right leg" for example.
#36
Getting your a*s handed to you on video games by little kids. I'm looking at you fortnite....
#37
I used to enjoy parties and talking to people, but now I forget names, cities I've visited, other peoples' children and grandchildren, and more. It is very awkward to talk to people now, so I don't talk a lot at parties anymore.
Image credits: Pradeep
#38
I miss my parents organizing vacations. I love to travel with my husband, but most of the planning falls to me, which leaves me with low-level anxiety — did I spend too much? Is that company legit? What if we damage the rental car, etc.? My dad is such a good vacation planner, and I never had to worry about anything when abroad.
#39
I regret not enjoying my childhood! I took a lot for granted as a kid. Man, that saying, 'Youth is wasted on the young,' couldn't be more true.
#40
Injuries taking longer to heal. "Walking it off" doesn't work as well as you get older.
#41
Wishing you had a time machine so you could do things right.
#42
Realizing summer vacation is a lie.
Image credits: corvettee01
#43
The ever growing presence of your own mortality.
#44
Male Pattern Baldness.
#45
Losing your sense of self, your identity--that mental image that you have of yourself that informs how you interact with people. I had one until my late 30s, but I don't recognize who I am anymore.
Also, everything aches and you gain weight just from looking at a strawberry. Not even a tasty chocolate-covered strawberry, just a plain old regular lumpy f*****g strawberry.
#46
The regret that you didn’t die decades earlier.
#47
Work.
Seems like more and more, I have less time to do the things I really enjoy doing.
#48
Wet farts/ dry mouth.
#49
Knowing that you won't ever be young again.
"It would remind us of when nothing really mattered.
Out of student loans and treehouse homes we'll always take the latter".
#50
Realising that sleeping on the couch is actually pretty s**t, and having ice cream for dinner just f***s with your digestive system as your body starts to lose it's ability to process dairy.
Oh also bills. Millions of bills.
Image credits: missy_avalon
#51
Deciding when to retire. Your mind is willing to stay motivated, but your body is failing. Also, trying to figure out things like Medicare and Social Security. There are so many discussions; the government couldn't make Medicare any more complicated if they tried.
#52
I'm 27 and I miss living with my parents. I miss seeing my mom every day. I live across the world from her now and although we call each other every day it's just not the same.
Image credits: vicklelikespickles
#53
It's harder to get excited about new things and ideas.
#54
Knowing how much of my sons' lives ill be absent from.
#55
To pee without peeing on your legs.
#56
Losing friends.
#57
I can't drink like I used to. I'm only 25, but drinking like I was 18 gives me the shivers even thinking about it.
You also make a lot more noise when you're just moving about as normal.
Image credits: S1m0n321
#58
Change.
#59
The hardest parts are the expectations that are put on to you. People expect you to have a good job, a house, a partner (who then is expected to become your spouse), children etc.
With each of those expectations comes responsibility. Job = tax, house = bills and mortgage, partner = bills and mortgage, children = food on the table every day, toys every birthday/xmas.
Enjoy your youth while you can, and don't do something just because it's what is expected of you. I'm only 27, maritally single and no kids.. but I have friends with all of the above who can't just decide last minute to go on a night out or do something spontaneous because life has them by the balls.
#60
The automatic ‘oh my parents will do that’ thoughts, mostly about helping round the house.
#61
Debt.
#62
Real excitement and happiness from the simplest things fades.
#63
Getting turned down by the young.
#64
Regret.
#65
Body hair. Absolutely despicable.
