Old Souls VI

6 Intriguing Myths About Old Souls
Aletheia Luna
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Solitary, philosophical and wise beyond their years, the Old Soul, just like any social oddity, tends to be mislabeled, and misunderstood by a society that fails to see the beauty of its own kind.

Walking through life as a social outsider, the Old Soul can find his matured temperament and outlook on life questioned and criticized.

This article will explore 6 common “myths” associated with the Old Soul temperament, in hopes of broadening the understanding of popular, but misguided perceptions.

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Myth #1:  Old Souls are lazy deadbeats.

Truth:  We long for simple and uncomplicated lives.

old soulsMany Old Souls don’t see eye to eye with society.   Wealth, material possessions and social statuses have no importance or allure to the Old Soul because they are seen as transient and momentarily fulfilling.

Why waste time complicating life with academic degrees, workplace competition and continuous debt when life can be lived simply and calmly?  This is why many Old Souls opt to work in unimportant, low-paying jobs, or decide not to work at all.

If money is the root of all evil, why let your life revolve around it?  In this situation, the Old Soul prefers to sit back, relax and smell the roses of life.

Myth #2:  Old Souls are asocial misanthropes.

Truth:  We tend to be quiet and solitary.

As pointed out in my other Old Soul article, many Old Souls tend to be solitary and/or loners by nature.   Understandably, this character quirk can be perceived very negatively by a society that values social stimulation and extroversion.

Old Souls tend to prefer their own company because only in solitude can they come to think their best thoughts, write their best works, and create their best creations.   It is the Old Souls thirst for spiritual self-actualization that fuels their need to be alone.

People, often, can become distractions and hang-ups on their inner quests for meaning and fulfillment.

Myth #3:  Old Souls are pretentious know-it-alls.

Truth:  We were born with a matured perspective of life.

Young Old Souls in particular, are met with a lot of judgement when they stay true to their authentic selves.

What person, especially middle aged or old, wants to listen to a kooky looking young man or woman talking about the meaning of life.   Especially if they’re dressed in what appears to be their grandparents clothing!

Understandably, many young Old Souls are measured against what is “normal” for their age, and end up falling short of societal expectations.   Thus come negative perceptions that Old Souls are “affected”, “artificial” or “conceited”.

Myth #4:  Old Souls are mentally defective.

Truth:  We like taking our time to do things properly.

I thank Facebook’s Old Soul Group for sharing their experiences which inspired this myth.

These experiences, as well as my own, have shown that Old Souls as a whole tend to be very meticulous.  Their sensitivity and care for the world tends to make them take extra time to complete tasks.

Old Souls show their care and commitment by the amount of time they invest in people and projects.  Unfortunately, this can make them “slow” in the workplace, making them seem inept and unintelligent compared to their faster-paced colleagues.

Myth #5:  “Old Soul” is a word made up by insecure or arrogant people trying to be unique.

Truth:  “Old Soul” is a word used to describe the feeling of being old in mind and heart.

Understandably, there are a few skeptics that try to rationalize “how can you measure the age of a soul?  This stuff is “mumbo-jumbo.”

Regardless of whether you believe in the reincarnation Soul Age theory linked with this group of people, being an Old Soul is specifically and exclusively a feeling felt by different groups of individuals.   This feeling, which can’t be effectively analyzed by the conscious mind, is a subconscious sensation of “just knowing things,” “having been here before,” and “feeling matured and mentally aged.”

Old Souls don’t feel that they’re any better than other people, nor do they necessarily feel insecure.   The term is simply used to describe what they feel inside.

Myth #6:  Old Souls are aloof and cold.

Truth:  We tend to have a detached, yet sensitive outlook on life.

If all things are passing – good and bad, people and possessions – what’s the point of becoming too attached to anything?

Many friends, lovers and family members are surprised by the Old Soul’s disconnection from the cares of the world.   Understandably, this can be unsettling, even a little upsetting for some.  However, the Old Soul still maintains a sensitivity that few understand, and often display traits that can be linked to the Empath.

Still, the Old Soul, a perpetual observer of life, tends to have a “been there, done that” mentality, that many, including even the Old Soul himself, finds puzzling.  Backstabbing, gossiping, fighting, as well as addictions, money issues and other day to day problems rarely affect Old Souls.

As physical existence begins to lose its charm, the Old Soul faces deeper existential problems.  This, perhaps, is why the Old Soul often feels world-wary and tired.