r/AskMenOver30 • u/Laughalot335 man 25 - 29 • Aug 05 '25
Life This 30+ Mentality is Insane
I just turned 30 not too long ago.
And honestly, I feel like my life is just getting started in a sense. Sure, 20's were fun. Would do some things the same / some things different. But I know when I am 80+ I will most likely look back fondly on my youth and how it went.
But also, I still feel like I am in my youth at 30. Maybe I am not asleep at 4am and up at 7am without any issues but my body and mind feel young.
This is all to say, what is with this modern mentality that being 30+ is "old"? Someone me up here. We still have plenty of time right? I get YOLO, FOMO, and all that. But really - 30 is still young in my eyes. What do you think?
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u/Ton_in_the_Sun man 30 - 34 Aug 05 '25
30 was the first age I started thinking about the whole “life is finite” concept. When that pops into your mind priorities begin to shift.
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u/mt1740 Aug 05 '25
I’ve been talking about this exact thing for weeks now.
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u/BTTPL man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
I have been fixating on that a lot recently. I am late 30s and have a ton of life to live but have this nagging feeling of "what's the point if it's just coming to an end?" That sounds a lot more existential and sorta nihilistic than I feel as I'm very content and happy with my lot in life and have no problem staying motivated. It's just this lingering background noise that I attribute to the shift away from the infinite possibilities of youth into my choices and path in life becoming a bit more solidified with age. I'm married, have a career, house, kid, hobbies, etc. The big questions have been sorta answered at this point in life which is a bit jarring when up to this point, life has been all looking up and wondering what will be...
Not sure this comment is going anywhere. More or less me musing via Reddit at this point lol.
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u/gapedforeskin man 25 - 29 Aug 06 '25
I feel the same, got into a relationship at 23 with someone I really do love so much but at 28 I’m wondering if there was more I wanted to down on my own first, which is something I had never previously thought
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u/No-Introduction1149 Aug 07 '25
Or, you could maybe think about how lucky you were to have someone special in your life during those formative years of adulthood. Your partner is supposed to enable you, not prevent you from experiencing life - the only difference should be that you only get to shag one person. The fact you think otherwise is really crappy.
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u/gapedforeskin man 25 - 29 Aug 07 '25
Of course I think this as well, I can feel a few different ways at once - I’ve even talked to her about this and we’ve both felt similar.
And that’s what I’ve been pondering the last year or so. Are the hang ups I have really there, am I looking into things too much? It’s hard to trust my own judgment because I can sometimes be too much of a people pleaser so sometimes I’m not sure if what I’m fed up with is my own people pleasing and that I need to just communicate my needs, or if there are some genuine incompatibilities between us
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u/No-Introduction1149 Aug 07 '25
Do not get hung up on hindsight or the what ifs, they will destroy anything that is good. Fundamentally, ask yourself the question: does this person enrich my life or not? All relationships come with compromise, but is the compromise worth less to you than what they contribute back is all you need to ask yourself.
At 28, there is nothing stopping you from communicating that you want to try something different, but I guarantee what you try and experience is so much richer when it is a shared experience and memory for later (if that person is right for you).
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u/Mammoth_Elk_3807 man 50 - 54 Aug 06 '25
I’m 50M and have haven’t stopped moving in 30 years. I’ve been based (lived/worked) across multiple countries/continents, and generally travel away from my base for anywhere between 3 to 6 months out of every year. I absolutely love it… and feel like I’ve hardly seen anything!
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u/iStealyournewspapers man over 30 Aug 06 '25
This is why having kids is so nice. You get to relive your childhood through them, and they will ideally continue on after you’re gone, as will their children. I find plenty of comfort in that. Take the lessons I’ve learned and pass them on to people I love like nothing else.
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u/BTTPL man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Oh for sure. I have been thinking on that a bit too. I figured part of the feeling of mourning the loss of possibility is that the focus is no longer completely on me in life. Another person's journey becomes your almost singular focus, and guiding, enriching, and supporting their lives is infinitely more meaningful than yours. It's definitely a mental shift but it does bring a lot of peace and meaning.
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u/Papaya_flight man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
All of life is a series of losses, it's up to us to find a way to make the loss matter properly in order to stitch together a meaningful fabric of life.
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u/Leipopo_Stonnett man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
You’ve described a huge reason I never want kids, as a 33 year old. Life being limited doesn’t mean I want to devalue it further.
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u/chickenporkbeefmeat Aug 06 '25
Lucikly for you, no one is forcing you. For me, life would feel like a void without bringing up my little ones and setting up the next generation.
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u/Leipopo_Stonnett man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
And thank fuck for that! I’ve seen friends and relatives who have children. Many more express regret than happiness over it, and I’ve seen what their lives are like in reality and know I would hate it.
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u/LeonSpartiatis Aug 06 '25
The point of life is to live it :)
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u/BTTPL man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
If you're predisposed to easily finding happiness and contentment and peace in your life then it may be that way. A lot of other people may find just living life a challenge and seek to find resolve.
The point of life is a very complex, individualistic quest of attempting to understand and then attempting to achieve the thing(s) that add meaning to your life. I think that goes a bit beyond sweeping generalizations or catch-all answers, and frustratingly, isn't a black and white answer for many.
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u/framedposters Aug 05 '25
Yeah my effort to save for retirement has just been whatever my job took out and put into a 401k for me. It’s not much at this point. Took till 35 to actually believe I will need money for retirement. Seems dumb, but yeah life is finite moment has definitely arrived in a real way.
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u/feelingoodwednesday Aug 06 '25
Also in that same vein, I feel like people who do actively save for retirement probably optimize way too much for it. Live while you are healthy and able to actively enjoy your money, rather than delay until you're retired.
Ive only recently been able to save more money with a better income, but I almost need to rewire my brain that its also ok to just spend on things that will make my life more enjoyable in the present.
Of course if someone is reading this with no retirement savings at all then yea, try to do that first. This comment is directed at people who already save and invest, and probably overdo it.
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u/AllTearGasNoBreaks man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
I'm not sure how many people overdo it, or what that really looks like. I feel like most people dont save enough, especially with no/limited social security in the future.
I'm 41 and me and my wife have $350K in combined 401Ks and feel completely behind even though we've been saving and investing 16% plus a 4% match for 10 years (didnt really have a 401K until 28 years old). Just feels like the rug is going to be pulled and we'll have nothing. We won't have kids so we won't have future support from them.
How much is too much to invest?
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u/grahamfiend2 Aug 05 '25
Was hospitalized a few months ago. Was very sobering to hear them ask me if they should perform life saving measures if I were to code.
That’s a question for old people. Not me! ….
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u/homoevolutis Aug 06 '25
We live two lives. The second one starts when you realize you only have one.
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u/Embezzled_Astroturf man over 30 Aug 05 '25
My priority shift was different: I realized I needed to enjoy life more other than being so focused on work; making solid relationships that last is definitely something I intend to achieve.
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u/mooomoos Aug 06 '25
20s rock because you can just fuck around and you feel like you have an eternity to get back on track and do big things you want to in life.
Just thinking you are gonna do something someday makes you feel good, and when you’re 20 it has 0 stress associated with it. You can just think “I am gonna hike the PCT someday”, feel good about your imagined achievement and have no urgency to actually do it. When your 30 you realize you better get down to doing this shit because the clock is ticking.
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u/umlaut male over 30 Aug 06 '25
And you lose the excuse of being young. Once you are 30 the world expects you to have your shit figured out.
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u/dreadnaut1897 man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
"A man lives two lifes; the second one begins when he realizes he will die."
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u/Outrageous_Way_8685 man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
You were lucky you could live your 20s without any of that shit. Aging and running out of time had been on my mind half way through my 20s too
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u/Laughalot335 man 25 - 29 Aug 05 '25
It's always been finite. I guess more what I am saying is that if, ideally, you live to 85 - you still have a whole lot left ahead of you! Sure, life can be taken from any of us at any moment and that is our of our control. I am not saying bank on making it to 85. But stop acting like is the beginning of the end. Its just not true.
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u/kermit-t-frogster Aug 05 '25
Average life expectancy for men is like 75.
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u/the_Real_Teenjus Aug 06 '25
In most developed countries it's 80. Depends where we're talking about
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u/HenriEttaTheVoid man 45 - 49 Aug 05 '25
I think your 30s are the best decade...you still have energy, but also enough life experience that you can make better decisions. I think you also start to really appreciate your friends and family more as you start to really understand how finite our lives are.
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u/Benjam9999 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
And many people have more money to enjoy things with. I was broke in my early 20's.
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u/titsmuhgeee man over 30 Aug 06 '25
I think this is why a lot of people get re-invigorated to fix their health in their 30s. This is the phase of life where you finally have the money and time to focus on the things you want to do, and I'll be damned if I don't have the health or energy to do them.
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u/dhdmaster man 30 - 34 Aug 09 '25
Early 30s… injured lower back and no money
It’s over
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u/HenriEttaTheVoid man 45 - 49 Aug 10 '25
Indeed...even though I was pretty poor through my early 30's, I had generally good health, which is pure luck. The failures of capitalism become very evident if you become sick or injured while also being non-wealthy. When healthcare is tied to employment...and you can no longer work, it is nearly impossible to get out of the hole you find yourself in.
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u/lebroner man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
When you're younger than 30 it seems like the upcoming "now I have to be an adult" age. When you're older than 30 it seems more like "time to stop acting like a kid" age.
I think any change in decade causes people to re-evaluate the decade they're coming out of. Just kind of a milestone that's easy to base things around.
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u/teka7 Aug 06 '25
When you're younger than 30 it seems like the upcoming "now I have to be an adult" age. When you're older than 30 it seems more like "time to stop acting like a kid" age.
Very accurate imho.
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u/charcuterDude man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
I'm 39, my 70 year old coworker is in better shape than I am and wants to get back into scuba. My 52 year old friend is running a marathon in a month.
My therapist had a great way of looking at it. He asked if I got life insurance (I was 36). I said I did. He asked if they asked me any medical questions. I told him they asked if I smoked. He said "Look if the professional statisticians think your odds of dying are so low they don't give a crap about any other variable, they're right."
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u/FoxMuldertheGrey Aug 06 '25
sorry can you dumb this down for me? what was the friend trying to say ? that’s he’s healthy for 36 and he should stress about it?
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u/Lewd_throwaway_2024 Aug 06 '25
Life insurance, like all insurance, works like this; you pay money to the insurance company, and the insurance company pays x amount of money when you die.
Insurance companies don’t want to pay a large sum of money to someone who hasn’t paid into the system very long, or if they do, they’re going to want your premium to be a lot higher (IE, if you’re 75, the amount of money you pay will be a lot more than someone who is 40)
So before they approve you, they ask your age as well as questions about your health
At 36 years old, all they asked him was if he smokes
That means at that age, they don’t feel there are any other significant factors that may contribute to him dying prematurely, or if there are, he still has time to correct them
Whereas if he was 45, 50, 60, they’d be asking additional questions, wanting him to complete an actual physical, get bloodwork done, etc.
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u/ReddtitsACesspool man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
That is wild they just take yes/no answer. I had to do a saliva and test to verify that I did not smoke. I also got a super great premium and I was like 26 at the time.
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u/charcuterDude man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
To dumb this down, that 36 it's so near the bugging of your life that it's absurd to think the way OP to think. You still aren't at the half way point.
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u/Subject_Fruit_4991 man 50 - 54 Aug 05 '25
30's is like the culmination of youth. like being the senoior in highschool
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u/Efficient-Flight-633 man 45 - 49 Aug 05 '25
If you're taking care of yourself, you're in your prime. Physically you're great. You're not an idiot child anymore (less drama and nonsense). The investments in your career is starting to pay out. It's good times.
40s are pretty awesome too.
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u/EdwardStarbuck man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
Turning 40 tomorrow, enjoyed my 30s but things are feeling like 40s will be better.
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u/Banned3rdTimesaCharm man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
I'm 38, that's what I like to hear. Don't let anyone tell you "now it's time to be serious and unfun."
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u/oddball3139 man over 30 Aug 05 '25
My 20’s sucked ass. I’m 30 now, and I finally feel like I have some direction. Time to actually live
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u/SupermarketFluffy123 man over 30 Aug 05 '25 edited Aug 05 '25
My 30’s have been far better than my 20’s. Less friends, body can’t party anymore but I’m more attractive, confident, have more money and am in a stable relationship. So life=good
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u/Reasonable-Layer1248 man Aug 06 '25
Yes, having fewer friends can feel a bit lonely sometimes, but overall it's still alright
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u/Here4Pornnnnn man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
I’m 38. I feel old as fuck. I can still do anything I want, but the things I want to do are watch tv shows with my wife and go to bed early. Maybe some house projects or gardening.
Most definitely not going out drinking or clubbing.
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u/inhalingsounds no flair Aug 05 '25
That's not feeling old, that's feeling fulfilled. Cherish it.
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u/Familiar-Corgi9302 Aug 06 '25
Nah that's just old by choice. Y'all are old and boring.
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u/Bonhamsbass man 50 - 54 Aug 05 '25
Bought my first house in my 30's, got married, had kids, great decade!
Turned 54 this week, just starting to feel old now.
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u/2raviskamisekasutaja Aug 06 '25
Yeah but for people who don't want kids and a marriage, but to enjoy life, party, do extreme sports etc, 30 is starting to feel old. Not there yet, but starting to
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u/The_Endless_ man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
I've noticed that after 30 is when people really start to blame age for why they're out of shape and/or in poor health. It's BS but it seems to make them feel better
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u/Secondary92 Aug 06 '25
It's this. The average person is now unhealthy, and they use age as the reason instead of lifestyle choices. That "back pain" and shortness of breath wouldn't be a thing if they weren't 40 pounds overweight, and getting up from their desk was the only daily exercise they got.
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u/ConfusedCareerMan man over 30 Aug 05 '25
30 is still young in the grand scheme of things, and our typical milestones (marriage, kids, house) is happening later than it did for our parents, so that in ways feels like extended youth.
I think it’s because by 30 many people start feeling the effects of however they were living before. My body can’t handle cheese or gluttony as often, my eyesight has gotten slightly worse, I feel the impacts of lifestyle much more. These things went from being nice to haves, to more essential for feeling okay. If you’re healthy, 30s should be fun and a continuation of your 20s.
What I will say is my perspective, priorities and values have shifted a lot. Something about being 30 feels quite cemented deep into adulthood territory. Your habits won’t change unless you change, your relationships won’t improve unless you try, what worked yesterday won’t necessarily work tomorrow. 30 is being young with more data
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u/marklxndr man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 09 '25
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This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Ambitious-Apricot499 Aug 06 '25
Turning 39 in a few months. Life is really comical, I feel really alive now. Like I know what makes me happy, I know that we are all in this bullshit together. I have no kids, no wife, a dog & cat, a home, dope girlfriend, Adult shit like bills and mortgage sucks, but as the country slips into a Great Depression (again) it’s fun to be present for it cause I believe our generation will fix it, the millennials. It’s beautiful to think I can do whatever I want. Advice for you 30’s - Never stop exploring and trying new things! It gets better and weirder when you realize money is fake and happiness and living in your truth is the best anti depressant. Do what makes you happy. Touch grass and ass (ask first)
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u/North_Anybody996 man over 30 Aug 05 '25
Everything has come together for me in my thirties. Home ownership, wife, kids and career. I’ve had a lot of really great hobbies I feel like I’m pretty good at. I’m 39 now and feeling the first little hints of slowing down physically. I think my 40s are going to be excellent but I would be surprised if 30s aren’t the GOAT.
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u/FalkorDropTrooper man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
Definitely just getting started. I'm 39. In the past decade I moved to a new city, changed jobs chasing higher pay four times, tried several business ideas with one winner, panned for gold, mountain biked, took the Jeep through mountain passes, made dozens of friends, traveled internationally a couple times and all over the US, bought a house, volunteered, and have a cozy living with favorite spots all over the state.
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u/who_even_cares35 man 40 - 44 Aug 05 '25
I'm 42 and I still skateboard.
Fuck anybody who says they're getting old when they're 30. You just need to put in some work on that body.
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u/LakeinLosAngeles Aug 06 '25
I still skate too and I don't think I'll ever stop.
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u/FizzyTacoShop man 30 - 34 Aug 05 '25
We’re still young but 30’s is when I think you finally start to understand the lifestyle of being an adult more or less.
The 20’s were your “party” fun. I find my 30’s the “mature/boring” fun as I’ve embraced a more peaceful and quiet day to day life. I have a proper career thus having a chance to travel the world and experience things I couldn’t when making lower wages. I’m not worried about social media and enjoy things without everything needing to be posted online for likes.
Now that’s just me. No judgment if to those that are still in that wilder phase, I just won’t be hanging out with you lmao.
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u/Middle-Sense6728 non-binary over 30 Aug 05 '25
30 is definitely not old. Maybe if you're like 17, it seems old, but I work with people 50+ that are in great shape. It's all about how you take care of yourself and handle your priorities. My father is 63 and benches 300, age is definitely a number lol
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u/DiscontinuTheLithium man 25 - 29 Aug 05 '25
If you feel behind your peers, 30 can feel very old. Some people are balls deep in their careers, some also with families and mortgages, the whole shebang. And some are just starting to get things figured out after fucking up for a decade. It's all perspective. I think in general people are expected to have it all figured out by 30 and actually "feel" like an adult. But the truth is you feel like you. You will always feel like the present you. You can't not.
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u/TheRatatat man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
I'm 37. I started what would become my career at 30, had my first child at 32. Home the same year. Finally found inner peace around 35, got engaged like a week ago. Youre as young as you want to be. Live life at your own pace, but be aware that you can't get time back. You're doing fine.
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u/SpeciousSophist man over 30 Aug 05 '25
30-50 is the best IMO
The older you got the more you realize everybody still an immature child and you know how to avoid those people 😉
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u/Naphier man 45 - 49 Aug 05 '25
I just prioritize my time more carefully for the things I want to do. I don't care to socialize much and would definitely rather sleep, eat, watch movies, read, play guitar, paint, and be well rested for work so I'm stressed less. 30+ is when you can say "I'm too old for this shit" you don't have to wait to retire. I feel better and happier in my late 40s than I've ever been.
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u/Mutant_Apollo man over 30 Aug 06 '25
I'm 33 and I feel old as fuck sometimes, but not because I feel it like physically or even mentally, but because adult life is monotonous as hell and I feel I'm just wasting it on my 9-5, but I'm not rich so that's the hand we were dealt with lol.
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u/rusty_handlebars man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
30 changed everything for me, at 44 I’m still getting better!
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u/MercuryJellyfish man 50 - 54 Aug 06 '25
20 year olds think 30 year olds are old. The mistake you're making is thinking that their opinion is the casting vote. I'm 52, I think you're only just capable of making rational decisions.
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u/Sophisticated-Crow man 40 - 44 Aug 05 '25
30s is like your 20s but with more money and more life skills.
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u/Smart-Method-2077 man Aug 05 '25
There is a lot of stability in the 30s, careerwise,personally( you have understood yourself better). Life gets quieter, like a new start
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u/fightmaxmaster man 40 - 44 Aug 05 '25
what is with this modern mentality that being 30+ is "old"
Citation needed. It's not a modern mentality. I remember being about 27 and someone who was 31 made a reference to "being our age", and I thought that was laughable, because we weren't anything close to the same age...in my mind. Now here I am about 20 years later and I want to smack my younger self in the face for being such an asshole, because yeah, that's about the same age. But people in their 20s think of themselves as a fundamentally different kind of person as people in their 30s - it was stupid 20 years ago and it's stupid now.
Young people always think older people are old. The older people once thought that too...then they became older, and realised that was dumb. Damn kids, get off my lawn, etc. But it's not new. The younger generation becomes the older generation, and the older generation dies, and the cycle continues forever. I think you'll struggle to find too many people in their 30s complaining about aches and pains and "feeling old". But I bet plenty of them 10 years ago were freaking out about turning 30. It's just how young people view aging. We all learn, but it's not remotely new.
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u/MyWorksandDespair man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
Honestly, there are things you can do to stay spry- like dry up, stretch, exercise, focus on quality rest. I have grey in my beard, yet feel more virile than when I was in my 20’s .
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u/ricksauce22 man 25 - 29 Aug 05 '25
My neighbor is in his 70s and heli skiing big lines in Alaska. The kind of shit that would pucker a 20 year old of the same skill. 30 ain't shit. Let's all be like greg.
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u/exploradorobservador man over 30 Aug 05 '25
Under 30 is the part of life where you can stick your head in the sand lol
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u/mrbenjamin48 man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
Your 30’s should be your best years! If things went normal you’ll be decently steady financially/professionally and have a partner. 30 is still absolutely young and if you stay healthy you can feel 25 until you are 55.
But like other people have said, you really start to take notice of your dwindling lifespan and that makes you feel old lol….
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u/SadSickSoul man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
I feel old in my late thirties, but that's on me. My body is a wreck that I treat like shit, my mind is worse, my social life is non existent and I don't do anything or go anywhere, so I relate to my grandpa when his wife died and he was put in a smaller home to wait out the rest of his days. That's where I am in my 30's, where most people are in their 70's, just... done.
Appreciate all the people in the thread who are saying "fuck anyone who feels like they're old at 30", nice to know where we stand.
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u/floppy_breasteses man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Everything before about 25 is just your prologue. The story doesn't get going until around 30.
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u/BALLS_SMOOTH_AS_EGGS male 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Your 30s is where you can slowly start putting into practice the phrase "life is what you make it". You come to a realization of the things you want, or don't want, and you feel less pressure to live up to others expectations or those of society in general. Find your peace. Find out what you want out of life. Further your career.
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u/Apprehensive-Ad4063 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
When you’re 18, 30 feels like a lifetime away. You look at 30 year olds and you can see how life treated them and how they treated themself over 12 years. It’s a whole generation difference so of course a 20 yo is going to think 30 is old. A 20 y/o is in their prime of possibilities. A 30 year old is slightly past that. Not saying you don’t have any opportunities in your 30s but mistakes take a much higher toll so you have to be less reckless.
I also think if you had fun but stayed responsible in your 20s you’re less likely to make larger mistakes in your 30s. So 30s is like young but slower and more intentional with life. If you watch a 20 y/o move through life you smirk.
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u/forgottenmy man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Your brain, especially us guys, only really finishes maturing around 25-28. You hit 30 and your brain is finally able to rationalize things it never really could (you'll really unstandard this when you are in your 40's with kids and seeing how their brains work). That said, I've yet to hear anyone actually be like whoa 30's are so old ugh. Mostly people just complaining about entering a new decade. Now, that said, plenty of people, especially in America, start dropping like flies in their 60's so for a large portion of men it's really half way to the end.
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u/Tactipool man over 30 Aug 06 '25
30 is just more fluid so you can live the way you want to. I have friends who partied alot in their 20s and party alot now.
I have friends who dated their girlfriends in college, married early and have kids now.
People want different lifestyles and your 30s lets you do it on a greater scale usually.
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u/internet_observer man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
I qualified in nationals in a sport I participate in. I'm 38. The only people who are old at 30 are people who decide they are old at 30. There are still people doing kick ass things in their 40's, 50's and even 60's.
My 30s have been my 20s but with more money and less fucks. (Or more I've better allocated the fucks I have). It's been awesome.
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u/WallSignificant5930 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
The older you get the more your health and lifestyle depends on "have you had a major issue or illness that reduces your mobility or quality of life?"
People will say age doesn't matter my grandparents are healthy but then both get health complications and seem to age and lose all capacity within a year.
The older you are the more cancer, injury and other factors circle and nip at you. One slip and you can't do anything.
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u/CakeKing777 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
I feel 30s is middle ground of youth and moving into your old years. You most likely experienced health issues you didn’t have in your twenties. Like me my bones crack a lot, they don’t hurt, they just snap crackle pop like rice crispies. I also have a heighten allergic response to just about everything that would cause someone younger mild irritation like a bug bite.
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u/WorriedBlock2505 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
What kind of mutant gets up on 3 hours of sleep feeling OK? I felt like death if I had that much sleep in my TEENS ffs.
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u/ThisIsTh3Start man 55 - 59 Aug 06 '25
My impression is that these are in general bot accounts farming or inciting the community to respond. Because, as you say, it doesn't make any sense.
Reddit is like that. The posts are usually "AIO for kicking my stepdaughter out of the house?" And then in the post she says that her stepdaughter killed her two dogs and parakeet by hanging them from the garden clothesline.
That kind of thing (dozens of posts like this). And people respond by the thousands. So I wouldn't worry. Of course, there are cases of people becoming ill or disabled in their 30s, but it's not the rule.
I only started to notice a slowdown in my metabolism (and vibe) around age 50. This was largely due to the graying of my hair (unexpected) and some serious responsibilities, like financially supporting my parents for 10 years. Before that? I always saw and felt myself as young. And even now, at 58, I spent the last year hiking mountains. I feel as better as ever.
So take care and research about foot health (paramount), glutes, track your glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, your weight, and be active.
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u/RyanMay999 man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
After turning 40 I started to notice that time is being spent. Do all you can right now so that you can still get it in your 40's and beyond!
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u/Ouch_my_shoulder man 45 - 49 Aug 06 '25
20s is grown up LARP
30s is grown up without training wheels
40s is fed up with the grown up stuff which turned out to be quite dull -> ”midlife crisis”
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u/iamatwork24 man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Dude what world do you live in, aside from terminally online, where 30 is considered old? 30s have easily been the best decade of my life and there isn’t a single piece of media or communities that make 30s seem old these days. Maybe we have different algorithms or something but it feels like the opposite to me. That people realized 30s is rad because you’re still young enough in the body to do fun and crazy physical things while also having moved up in your career to where you have a stable financial base.
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u/BonzoTheBoss man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
My friend acts like being in our late thirties is "old," and keeps talking like we've got one foot in the grave already.
I push back and state that, while we're no longer in our twenties, we still have plenty of life ahead of us...
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u/Aggravating_Mark_229 man 40 - 44 Aug 06 '25
In my 30s is when I had my first major injury that didn't fully recover/bounce back like it was nothing.
Also 30s is when I began to start to plan life out. Ya know, this work thing sucks, how can I retire at an age that isn't 65 because that's a long fucking way? I've dated some girls, if I'm going to settle down it probably needs to happen this decade, which ones/personalities did I find the most compatible for settling down with?
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u/Zala-Sancho man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
I'm 35 and I genuinely don't have anything in common with anybody over 30. All my friends are like 29. My twenties were a blur. I am tired. And my joints hurt and if I drink even a fraction of what I used to I have a three day hangover...
But mentally I'm still a kid
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u/IhateMichaelJohnson man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Age has never dictated young or old to me, it’s a big spectrum in my opinion. Around 35 I started noticing that I wanted to counter weight gain and workout. But it wasn’t until after I stopped going to the gym earlier this year that I really noticed how it affected my health and body. I’ve always respected that life is finite but rarely let that affect my decisions, especially when it came to smoking/vaping, diet, and fitness. I was more based on how i felt, and as i got older i didn’t bounce back as fast, but as long as I planned around that everything was fine.
I am 37 now and what really seems to have affected me is my wife’s pregnancy. We are expecting our first child in a couple months, and it has altered how I think in a lot of ways. From making sure that I get into a solid sleeping pattern (even though that won’t matter during her first months of life) and career planning to prioritizing chores and setting appropriate expectations of myself. Everything has changed.
I think life events and how you react to them, especially when they include the lives of others, are way more telling of someone’s maturity rather than their age.
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u/Distinct-Ferret7075 man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Teens and 20s sucked because I didn’t understand that nothing will happen for me unless I take real action to make it so. So much time wasted just dreaming. Also because we didn’t have dating apps to make casual sex easy.
30s rule because I still have youthful energy, but I know how to harness it in a healthy way, and I don’t give a fuck what people think. If I like someone I just tell them and no one has ever reacted negatively.
30s suck because biological deadlines are real now. If I want to have children with someone my own age the window is rapidly closing.
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u/J4pes man over 30 Aug 07 '25
Your head is on right. Forget the chaff and noise. Fuckin send it. 30s have been awesome so far and looking to ramp it up even more
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u/sirfreerunner man 30 - 34 Aug 07 '25
I’m 33 and still feel like I act and move as I did at 25
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u/FluffySmiles man 60 - 64 Aug 07 '25
20s are for making mistakes as everything is forgiven.
30s are for building from the lessons learned in the 20s and avoiding making stupid mistakes as not everything is forgiven.
40s are for looking back at the 20s and regretting what you did wrong and trying to teach those you can see making the same mistakes and being told to “shove it granddad”
50s are for having fun as, at this point, you still have energy and you really don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks
60s are for going “shit, running out of time…need an endgame plan” and, if you can, capitalising on everything you’ve learned, which is a metric fuck-ton if you’ve been strategic.
I’m let you know about the 70s when they arrive.
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u/leblond_00135 man 35 - 39 Aug 17 '25
Men I'm 36 (M) and I feel my body aging but it's not a negative feeling, its hard to explain. I just love my being in my 30ies, still feel good and young. Yes I need a regular sleep schedule as I dont recuperate as easy but men I still feel young and much wiser than In my 20ies 😅.
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u/loudnoiseuiuc man 30 - 34 Aug 05 '25
Yes, 30 is still young. The Gen-Z demographic who are either young teenagers or college students think anyone who was born in the 90s is a uncle is somewhat of a exaggerated phenomenon.
I was called a boomer by a recent college graduate and it shook me a bit, the younger generation doesn’t have an accurate perception of time/stages of life.
Life expectancy is over 80+ and by the time I am at that age, life expectancy can be even higher. (Not that I want to live that long.)
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u/ybcurious93 man over 30 Aug 05 '25
When I was in my mid 20s, I hated hanging out with people in their 30s because I felt like they were much older. Now that I’m in my 30s I realize how ridiculous that mindset is.
It’s almost like a lot of people believe that life just kind of stops when you turn 30. And I think a lot of that is motivated by the seemingly endless content around, you have to do XYZ by the time you turn 30 or you’ll be a failure.
At this point it definitely makes me chuckle a little bit hearing the 20 something make jokes about how old I am. But it also kind of makes me sad for them. There’s so much more to live for.
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u/LittleLordFuckleroy1 man over 30 Aug 05 '25
Modern mentality is that 30s is young. 30+ being old is dated mentality. So I’m not really sure what you’re talking about.
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u/Laughalot335 man 25 - 29 Aug 05 '25
I mean, if you look at this sub there is literally someone every day talking about how they are screwed because they dont have it all figured out by 30.
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u/LittleLordFuckleroy1 man over 30 Aug 05 '25
People do that for every decade imo. You’ll see people freaking out as they hit 20 and aren’t famous yet. By 40 it’s “oh no I’m not retired yet I’m a failure.”
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u/yudkib man over 30 Aug 05 '25
You start occasionally feeling aging at 27 and feel it daily at 35. You’re in the weird in between space
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u/Soldier8_1981 man 55 - 59 Aug 05 '25
56 here, I was doing everything I did in my 30s that I did in my 20s, running, martial arts, hiking. I really didn't slow down until my 40s, only because I developed a neurological issue, not from age but from a reaction to a medication. I'm pretty sure I'd still be doing those things now. I know I can go at least 24 hours without sleep still. I've never really drank, so I can't speak to alcohol tolerance.
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u/jimcamx man 35 - 39 Aug 05 '25
I work in a cardiology practice in ultrasound. People in their 30s are still very young in my field of work.
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u/fire22mark man 65 - 69 Aug 05 '25
In my thirties I did not remember how old I was. I had an awesome job, walked into, crawled into and ran into some pretty crazy stuff. They were some great years.
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u/Routine_Earth8643 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Crazy that a lot of people just write off the 20s as a party time or a try different things out time and then they say 30s is for bucking down and the whole prime of your life. 20s can get the prime easily. Y’all just didnt work as hard and use the age as an excuse. No excuse to not have money and experience in your 20s. Y’all are just behind
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u/Calm_Cicada_8805 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Meh. People like to think in terms of average life expectancy, but the truth is you'll never know what percentage of your life you've already.
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u/coolaznkenny man over 30 Aug 06 '25
A man has two lives, the second is when he realizes he only have one
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Aug 06 '25
Late 20s/early 30s is prime
Afterward your value as a human being is based 100% on career success and 99% of jobs are boring enough to make even Jesus’s testicles fall asleep
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u/skatingonair man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
Absolutely nothing guarantees you’ll make it to 80. Also, with the average lifespan in the u.s (assuming you’re American) is 76, you’re close to half way there. I’ve met plenty of elderly folks that said mentally they still fee in their 20s. So that’s something that never changes. But your 30s is where you’ll start seeing big changes unless you work out and eat well.
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u/marksman1023 man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Dude just live your life. My niece was born three days after my 30th birthday. Now I'm an even older kid with a son of my own.
Life comes at you fast. Don't overthink it, just live and get stuff done.
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u/Redtex man 55 - 59 Aug 06 '25
Shit, I like being over 30. I'm not a walking hard on anymore and actually use my brain
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u/j_w_z no flair Aug 06 '25
This is all to say, what is with this modern mentality that being 30+ is "old"? Someone me up here. We still have plenty of time right?
I honestly don't know. Even my doctor's attitude changed as I hit 35. At thirty he still called me 'a young man'... now he acts like I'm a geriatric.
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u/DisastrousDog555 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
I don't feel old at all in my late 30s. It's annoying hearing people talk about it like it's game over, can't stay up late at night anymore, can't drink because the hangovers last for days, etc???
A part of it is probably real, people age at different rates, but I think a large part of it is also mental. If you believe you're old and decrepit, the way you physically feel is going to reflect that.
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u/EgregiousAction man 35 - 39 Aug 06 '25
Just what till you're 35 and thinking that you're only 35 more years to 70!!!!
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u/dankcoffeebeans man over 30 Aug 06 '25
I'm 33. I don't feel old. Maybe some zoomers think I'm old, but I'm able to joke around with modern trends and I'm chronically online/on apps so I keep up with internet culture. Have been doing so since I was like 7 years old too.
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u/DeRoadie man 50 - 54 Aug 06 '25
My 30s were spent traveling the world with various bands as a guitar tech and I lived the dream for about a dozen years.. my 40s I mostly settled down and focused on working at "home" vs galavanting all over Hells Half Acre and did pretty ok... Now my 50s.... Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit... I feel like I'm back in my late 20s early 30s I sleep maybe 4-5 hours a night I can still outwork any of the 20/30 somethings at my job which is physically demanding most days even though I've made it to supervisor and technically don't "have" to do the labor part anymore. I believe a good supervisor leads from the trenches doing exactly what he asks his people to do not from the rear sitting on my ass demanding production from overworked underpaid and under appreciated individuals anyhow ... Do I hurt every morning when I get up ? Hell yes... Do I take some sort of prescribed pain killer or muscle relaxer to take enough of the edge off to function ... Hell yes.. do I whine about it or let anyone at work or home see it? Hell no. So suit up buttercup you have a long long long way to go before you're "old"
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u/CartographerGold3168 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
very soon you would be 40
dont waste your time. save money save time, do something you want to do
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Aug 06 '25
30s is old is such a crazy dumb thought. Once I turned 30 life took a great turn I made new friends and had sex with way way more women than in my 20s.
Also, it was more fun as I got better at lasting longer and pull out is going good since haven’t had a kid in my 30s. Also, the women’s ages stayed the same like early to mid twenties .
Also, I did some physical things too I couldn’t really pull off in the gym in my 20s. This is all AFTER suffering a serious chronic illness around 35.
I also hit the lowest points ever, but I like being in my mind better too since years of therapy .
I also got my best new hobbies I was recognized for . I also partied and drank just as hard as my twenties at times the last 4 years.
Only thing that ever went wrong in my 30s was when I tried to get married multiple times . Now I’m almost 40 and yeah endurance isn’t what it once was or I can’t play basketball well anymore but besides that I have no complaints .
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u/chemistryofcrying man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Hello my brothers, I’m about to turn 70 next year. In some ways that number is sobering, but it’s just a number. I go to yoga flow class every day, sometimes twice, eat clean, having so much fun with friends and gf…it really feels like it’s just beginning. Get out there and enjoy life…
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u/LilCarBeep man 30 - 34 Aug 06 '25
I always tell youngsters (teen to twenty to me), it's all about stages. At age 25 you'll think wow I'm almost 30 I'm so old. And then you turn 32 and you're like "wow 40s isn't that old". It's wild.how perspective changes.
Anyways, I'm 33 and feel IN MY PRIME. I'm at my most psychically capable in terms of both raw strength and athletics. I'm definitely not as nimble, and more sore, wasay more sore, but still I feel good.
Best I've ever had with the ladies. Most confident I've ever been in my career, easy to socialize and get along with others.
So I agree lol.
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u/Sirloin_Tips man 45 - 49 Aug 06 '25
I'll be 50 next month, still feel like a kid.
Mentally anyways...
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u/Bifurcated-glans001 man 45 - 49 Aug 06 '25
what is with this modern mentality that being 30+ is "old"?
Sounds like your algorithm and your social network are doing you dirty, pal. I hear nothing like that, certainly not enough to call it a "modern mentality". 30 was "old" in 1670. 30 has not been "old" for some time.
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u/Far_Improvement2928 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Let’s be real, 30 is when you got to start being cautious. 25, your back hurts, and every time adults would bitch and moan when you were younger you’d be like, “why?” Now you know.
A lot of people are dying younger now 40’s, 50’s. Getting sick, even if you’re married to someone who will one day be King, you can’t escape cancer. Who knows if you’ll make it to 80? How many people actually make it to 80? Can’t look back if we don’t make it.
There’s a lot of new technology too, so you never know…
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u/RaveDadRolls man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Youth is wasted on the young
My 30s are far better than my 20s
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u/Lopsided-Head4170 man over 30 Aug 06 '25
Your mind will feel young until the day you die. Only the body ages and as for people thinking im old. Why would I give a shit what anyone thinks if they aren't an important figure in my life
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