People have been telling me I’m an ‘old-soul’ since I was a child and to this day I don’t completely understand what leads them to that conclusion.

At 22, I don’t take it as an insult but at the same time who wants to be ‘old’? Whatever the reason, I’m the officially appointed ‘DAD’ of my group, so I’ve compiled a list of 8 things you’ll empathise with if you too identify with being an ‘old-soul’.

1. You’re the one people come to for advice
Even though you’re young, people of all ages tend to inherently trust your opinion. Whether it’s concerning relationships, uni, family issues or anything else, you’re the go-to for the good advice and occasional scorning if needs be.

2. You’re either eternally single or in a long-term relationship
When it comes to us ‘old souls’ we don’t tend to ‘smash and dash’ like a lot of our peers. We look at the bigger picture and aim for long-term commitment, meaning we’re either always single or have been involved in a long-term relationship for many years. Either way, we’re not usually the ones caught on a walk of shame across campus.

3. You find it difficult to relate to your friends
There are times when my friends are talking and it sounds like white noise to me. No I don’t particularly care what Kanye has said now, or how many followers you have on Instagram (mine is @drjackoconnor in case you were wondering). No, my mind is more stimulated by talk of politics or current affairs; basically anything that can’t be related back to the Kardashians in any form.

Are you an old-soul? 👴👵#oldsoul #poll

— OpinionPanel (@OpinionPanelC) December 10, 2018

4. You call a spade a spade
You’re not afraid to say it as you see it. You tend to speak candidly and perhaps that’s the reason people come to you for advice. What you see is what you get and you’re not afraid to express your opinion,popular or not.

5. Spontaneous is one thing you ain’t!
You’re probably not a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ type of person. You like to prepare and plan for things in advance and you’re likely to even plan for unexpected outcomes. You’re the type of person that packs spare batteries in your suitcase ‘just in case’ and for that reason you’re more often than not the saviour in a crisis.

6. You’re sensitive to other people’s emotions
Old souls generally have a high emotional intelligence and can sense subtle changes in others that may otherwise go unnoticed. We tend to be receptive to people’s feelings and can tell when a mate is feeling off without a word being spoken.

7. A quiet Friday night in sounds mint!
Clubland Megamix and deep house music are most likely the last things you want to hear on a Friday night. The club scene is not your sanctuary and my guess is you’ll prefer a quiet night in watching Netflix, or chilling with your flatmates. Anyone want takeaway?

8. Happy in the skin you’re in
As an old soul you’ve lived a life beyond your years and you know there’s more to life than how you look or how you’re perceived. You’re happy being you and you’re comfortable with who and where you are. You can overlook negativity and tend to count your blessings, not your troubles.