Are You An Old Soul?
You might be asking yourself…what is an old soul?
Some people are described as old souls, and you may have heard the term to describe someone who appears to know more than the average person, regardless of what age they are.
In terms of “knowing more,” this is nothing to do with learned knowledge, such as the type of knowledge you get when you go to university or read from books. It is a type of wisdom that comes from a sense of “knowing.”
An old soul is someone who has lived many lives and, as such, is born with an innate sense of wisdom. Often, these lives have been challenging and filled with pain and suffering. This is because suffering leads to empathy which leads to compassion.
An old soul will appear old, even if they are young.
Highly compassionate people are very often old souls. They tend to have oodles of empathy, and many of them are empaths. They tend not to be fascinated by the material world as other people are. They seek a deeper meaning in life because they know that we do not take our money, cars, clothes, and other material goods with us when we die.
The old soul knows that we take one thing with us, and that is the soul itself.
Are You An Old Soul?
There is no concrete test on the internet to determine if you are an old soul. However, there are clues. Funnily enough, an old soul will often know they are an old soul somewhere deep down.
If you’re a little unsure whether you or someone you know is an old soul, read some of the characteristics they have in common, which are highlighted below.
1. Spiritually Inclined
Many old souls are very sensitive.
They are closer to the spirit world than other people and often have vivid dreams and strong feelings about people. Old souls will always, at some point in their lives, take an interest in spiritual matters because they are unconsciously yearning to return to the place they came from.
Read this article next: Are You Going Through a Spiritual Awakening?
2. Introspective
Old souls can spend hours pondering the meaning of life. They are interested in death itself, and their thoughts transcend modern thoughts about death, which is that it is almost taboo to avoid.
Old souls understand that death is a transitionary period.
This is not to say they handle death well; many do not. Their sensitivity can make it completely unbearable when they experience it in their lives. But they have a deep understanding of it and may often express their thoughts about it in conversation.
3. Not Interested in Materialism
Old souls are famous for their disinterest in the material world.
They have little interest in the latest technology gadgets, being rich for the sake of it, fame and status; they see little interest in it because it is only temporary, whereas the soul lives on.
4. An “Odd” Child
Old souls often grow up feeling different from others.
Others may have found them strange and thought of them as the “weird kid.” They would have spent time alone and are often labeled as adults as “precocious.” Many have rebellious natures and struggle to fit in with mainstream society and submit to authority.
These children are brilliant and inquisitive, and adults feel as though they can talk to them on a similar wavelength to themselves.
5. Struggle in Social Settings
An old soul can appear comfortable and confident in public or shy and anxious, but regardless of the exterior they give off, they will all struggle in social settings where crowds and lots of people.
This is because there are many aspects of the social spectrum that they don’t do well with. Egos that are fragile, etiquette and smiles that are not genuine are just some of the issues that bother them because they can see through social niceties and are often unwilling to do the same thing.
You might also like: How to Overcome Social Anxiety
6. Enjoy the Company of Older People
Old souls, from a young age, will enjoy the company of those older than them. This is because they find it easier to relate to older people as these people have accumulated more wisdom and life experience.
7. Old Souls Feel Old
As we already mentioned, an old soul truly never feels young. You could be 20 but feel that you’re about 65!
They can feel alienated from their peers because they cannot relate to them. They will instinctively feel that they have lived for a long time already (and this is because they have in past lives).
8. Compassionate
Old souls are extremely compassionate. It is difficult for them to witness pain and suffering and not want to help. Many fall into the roles of counselors and helpers or some sort of activist trying to make the world a better place.
9. Withdrawn
An old soul needs a lot of time to recharge their batteries. They can appear withdrawn to others and even be accused of being unsociable. They need time to themselves so that they can regenerate their energy.
10. Crave the Simple Things in Life
An old soul’s inner world is vibrant and complex.
There is often great conflict going on within them as they struggle to harness their inner gifts of compassion and empathy and find a way to apply them in a world of suffering while keeping control of themselves in the process.
As such, they crave and find great joy in the simple things in life. A cup of hot tea on a rainy morning or going through a quick walk in the woods can bring enormous joy to them.
Old Souls Are Here for a Purpose
Why are old souls here? They already know how traumatic and devastating this world can be. William Shakespeare put it in an interesting way when he said, “hell is empty, and all the devils are here.”
An old soul will often feel this way. So why do they come to this planet, knowing what awaits? This is a question many old souls end up asking themselves in their lives.
It is for two reasons.
The first is that they are here to help the planet evolve and transcend beyond its current state. An old soul is here for a purpose, not just to continue learning their own soul journey, but because in previous incarnations they have picked up skills and abilities that are desperately needed on earth right now.
The second is because, no matter how terrible things can get, an old soul knows that the beauty of life is truly worth fighting for.
Love, kindness, and friendship are some of the best qualities humankind possesses. An old soul will fight for humanity, in their own unique way, because these attributes make it worth fighting for and because they know that the earth, with its nature and animals that depend on humans to protect them, are also worth the fight.
If you are an old soul, always remember that your role in this world is a special one. You came here for a reason and only you can unravel the extent of that reason as your soul continues its journey through life.
Related article: Are You an Empath?
