Have you ever been told that you’re wise beyond your years? Do you feel like you don’t belong in modern society?
Maybe you’re an old soul.
People don’t always agree on what makes for an old soul.
Some say they are souls that have been repeatedly reincarnating to pay off their karmic debt.
Others believe that they simply draw a bit more deeply from the cosmic energies from which all souls are born.
Whatever theory you may subscribe to, something that people do agree on is that old souls live hard lives.
In this article, I will tell you ten reasons why old souls live harder lives, as well as the things that can be done about them.
1) They think too much
Old souls are naturally bound to be more cautious than most.
Where Young Souls would dive head-first and care little for risks, Old Souls would rather sit back and think things through before committing to anything.
But this world is built by young souls for young souls, and it shows. Society rewards people who grab opportunities left and right, people who can act at the drop of a hat and aren’t held back by their thoughts.
In a world such as this, Old Souls can easily find themselves left behind, and ridiculed as being “too slow” or “paranoid.”
What can be done:
While Old Souls might be easily outpaced by everyone else in the modern society that we live in, it’s not as though they don’t have a place. There’s a need for people who can wait and see the bigger picture instead of rushing into situations blindly.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- Try to play the role of the guide for New Souls. You have insight to share, and can point out things they might have missed in their desire to rush ahead.
- Try to identify when you’re worrying needlessly and hold your thoughts.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Take the time to consider their advice, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense at the moment.
- When in doubt, ask them why.
- Be mindful of their tendency to worry, and try to avoid giving them more things to worry about!
2) They find day-to-day life monotonous
Show something that most others would think is new and exciting to an Old Soul and chances are that they’ll just mutter a soft “Oh…” and carry on.
It’s simply hard to surprise Old Souls and hold their interest. But while they might have learned to deal with this sense of monotony, they still do crave for excitement deep within. Boredom is still an unpleasant feeling.
However, their careful nature will make them uninterested to try out the riskier activities that everyone else would happily throw themselves into.
Even then, chances are they won’t find it that interesting because, again, they have likely seen it before already, in a previous life.
What can be done:
There’s little to be done with boredom itself as an Old Soul. However, it’s possible to keep it from dominating one’s thoughts.
You’re an Old Soul:
- Try setting small, achievable goals for the short and long term, like caring for a garden or donating to a charity monthly,
- Try to seek fulfillment instead of excitement. You have probably lived your life in the past, now it’s your time to live your life for others.
- Set a routine. It might not truly ward off boredom, but it helps make daily life more bearable.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Don’t guilt them if their reactions to anything you do isn’t as intense as you hoped them to be.
- Pay close attention to the things they want, and see if you can accommodate them.
3) They’re empathetic
Old souls in general have a very strong sense of empathy. They can look at other people and understand. When caught in an argument between two or more people, they’re often torn because they can see where everyone is coming from.
Sometimes they get burned by others for being “indecisive” or are excluded because they’re willing to look at more than one side of a given issue.
Some people will see their heightened empathy and use them as wailing walls, someone to dump their problems on and lean on as emotional support. And this isn’t healthy for the Old Soul. They already have enough problems of their own as is!
What can be done:
Empathy can drain people and leave them absolutely tired, but it also speaks for the ages of wisdom that Old Souls have earned. In dealing with empathy, one must make sure to find a balance between self-health and giving help.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- Set boundaries. Youmay be willing to hear others’ woes, but you can’t just have others complaining to them every second of every day!
- You matter. If they need to take time off, then they must take it by all means.
- Sometimes there are just problems that you shouldn’t worry about, things that are none of your business or are larger than you can deal with.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Try to be understanding. They might be patient and warm, but they’re human too.
- Hold your temper!It might anger you if they don’t take your side straight away, but chances are they have a good reason to.
4) They have a strong sense of justice
A consequence of having lived multiple lives is that Old Souls are bound to have a strong sense of justice. They would have likely lived the life of the oppressor and then that of the oppressed multiple times.
This would lead to an almost intuitive understanding that we are all humans deep down, and that we all deserve to be treated equally.
And so they will often fight the good fight where they can and this, combined with their empathy and tendency to overthink, makes them clash against the world in all its selfish glory.
They might be as careful as they want, but most young souls tend to think in extremes and will only see what they want to see.
What can be done:
For their sense of justice, Old Souls are easily flagged down as troublemakers. They get lumped in with less wise souls who, in the drive to fight for ‘justice’, end up causing more trouble to their cause.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- You might already be careful, but it doesn’t hurt to be extra-careful regardless ofhow you present yourself in public.
- Justice just loses sometimes. Don’t take it too personally if the bad actors end up winning.
- Remember to pick your fights! If not the what, then at least consider the when.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Old souls start change, while New Souls keep the momentum going. Try to offer your support.
- Be mindful that you don’t end up harming the cause.
- Even if you disagree with what they are fighting for, try not to invalidate their efforts.
5) They can be a bit too blunt
In general, Old Souls are a bit less careless with words than newer souls. They’d refrain from unnecessarily inflammatory language and would be more mindful not to offend others.
However, another thing that comes with being an Old Soul is a no-nonsense attitude towards things that they feel are worth calling out and don’t shy away from giving criticism when it’s needed.
For example, if they have a friend who is being unnecessarily rude, instead of defending their friend for the sake of “friendship”, they will feel obligated to call that friend out.
They’re straight-up done playing games.
Unfortunately, this may have a hard time holding on to friendships, as people will misunderstand or refuse to understand where they’re coming from and push them away for daring to disagree with them.
What can be done:
Friendships between new and Old Souls can often be rough because of how differently they think. Even friendships between two fellow Old Souls can be rough sometimes. But don’t mistake the lack of sugar-coating for hate or a lack of caring.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- Sometimes old frustrations from deep within your soul will end up pushing through and make you harsher than you need to be. Be aware of them, and hold them back!
- It paysto keep in mind that younger souls can easily find offense in the things you say simply because they don’t know where you’re coming from.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Do try to discern their intentions before judging, even if their actions have you feeling hurt.
- If there’s something about what they did that you disagree with, try to tell them about it gently.
- Just because you had an argument with them doesn’t mean they’re no longer your friend!
6) They find it hard to speak their mind
This might sound like a contradiction to the above point. After all, didn’t I just talk about how Old Souls are blunt and don’t shy away from speaking their mind?
Why yes! But as a matter of fact, Old Souls have in them so much wisdom that they often just can’t find the right word to say, or figure out the right way to say things.
They’re often forced to simplify the complex so that others can understand.
What can be done:
Communication is important. That much is obvious. And there’s more to it than just words, which is important to keep in mind whether you are an Old Soul or a young one.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- You can try taking advantage of visual media! Make spreadsheets and diagrams. They can help.
- Learning new languages and words can be really helpful for expanding your avenues of expression.
- You might want to learn art. Some things are better expressed without words!
If you know an Old Soul:
- If you don’t understand what the hell they’re saying, ask. Press for more details. Try to understand their thought process!
- Pay attention to their body language. Sometimes the body takes over when words fail.
7) They’re marginalized
Because they simply clash against a society built by and for New Souls, Old Souls are often marginalized.
They’re wise beyond their years and this scares and creeps out the people around them.
They generally don’t tolerate modern stuff like flying cars, Tiktok, and Instagram… so they just can’t relate. And because they can’t relate and oftentimes nobody bothers to relate to them, they’re often alone.
It doesn’t help that they aren’t easy to please. Even they just don’t know what it is that makes them happy sometimes! This can lead to times when a friend would give them a lavish gift hoping for a reaction, only to get a simple nod and a thank you.
As a result, people would dismiss them as “ungrateful hippies” or “antisocial wisecracks.”
What can be done:
As an Old Soul, you will end up wanting to find your tribe— other Old Souls that you have been close to in previous lives. With the world being so much larger than it used to be, this can be a daunting task. There are over four billion humans on this planet!
If you’re an Old Soul:
- Don’t despair. The universe will bring your tribe together in time.
- Some young souls can offer you understanding and comfort despite their youth— don’t sleep on them
If you know an Old Soul:
- Fight for them, welcome them, give them space in your life.
- Pay attention to what they actually appreciate, and adjust accordingly!
8) They’re way too self-aware
Old souls are incredibly self-aware.
They know they’re different, that others don’t think they belong. And, of course, Old Souls have the exact same needs as everyone else.
They need friendship and love. They need understanding and acceptance.
But the very things that are core to their identity as an Old Soul make it hard for them to achieve this. They know it, and they just can’t change who they are. The result is a very strong conflict between their identity and their needs.
And they know they have nobody to blame but themselves.
So it’s not a surprise that Old Souls tend to be burdened by depression and anxiety.
What can be done:
“Stop being hard on yourself!” is easier said than done. Most of the things that can be done about this are entirely up to the Old Soul— others can only do so much to help. This is, after all, a very internal problem.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- A therapist can help you work through your depression.
- Pick up a hobby. Havingthings to distract you from your insecurities and fears will help.
- Eat healthy and surround yourself with positive energy. It makes the burden easier to bear.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Avoid saying things that you know are going to hurt them, please.
- Sometimes all they need is quiet company, and the reassurance that there’s someone there for them. See if you can give that.
9) They have a lot of karma to work through
Because they have lived so many lives, and have been reborn so many times, Old Souls have a lot of karma they need to work through.
They could have done huge atrocities when their soul was young or had done countless small missteps through the eons.
Either way, all that accumulated karma will continue to weigh down on their soul until they resolve it.
And souls that have reached the point where one can call them ‘Old Souls’ have grown enough that they can begin resolving their karma, instead of adding more to it.
It’s not an easy task to undertake, but that same process of achieving karmic balance will help them grow as people. Just because one is old doesn’t mean they can’t learn new tricks— no, it’s when the soul is old that it can truly grow.
What can be done:
Arguably the only thing that can be done is to do things that earn good karma, such as helping out in charities, while avoiding things that give even more bad karma.
As a bonus, doing good deeds can make one feel good about themselves, so one should try to help out regardless of if they are an Old Soul or a new one.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Find opportunities to do more good.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Influence them and encourage them to do good and help more people. Invite them to charity events and volunteer work, encourage them to recycle, etc.
10) There is a need to find meaning in life
Old souls are driven by a need to find meaning in life and there are many reasons for why this is the case. That they have a lot of karma to work through is one such reason.
Another would be the unresolved dreams and goals of their countless older lives that they have yet to rediscover and achieve.
Because of this, they’re oftentimes restless and shallower pleasures bore them fast. There’s a need to be part of something bigger, to do more for the world or for themselves that they’re already doing.
One can easily mistake this with ambition. However, ambition is often more of an external matter, where the person wants to achieve something that can be directly felt in the physical world.
The drive to find meaning is more of an internal, spiritual exercise and any effects that may occur in the physical world are not the intention, but mere consequence.
The thing is that until an Old Soul finds that something that they need, they will feel lost and adrift.
What can be done:
There is very little another person can do to help an Old Soul who is struggling to find meaning in life other than give support. This is very much an internal, spiritual struggle they will have to deal with on their own.
If you’re an Old Soul:
- Meditate, keep yourself centered. Being in a peaceful state of mind is important.
- Try to find things that give you satisfaction, and think about why that is so.
- Stay informed. Maybe all you need to find your true calling is to be reminded of your past desires, and reading books and listening to the news can help with that.
If you know an Old Soul:
- Try to influence and guide them, but be very patient.
- Be their cheerleader as they try to pursue their calling.
In conclusion
Old souls are incredibly complex and, to a young soul, they can often come off as self-contradictory.
However, that is just how things are as things grow older— layers start forming and things that seemingly conflict at first glance are resolved.
As an old soul, the world itself might seem to go against you, and that’s fine.
Life is not easy, but in your soul’s age, you have in you the insights and lessons to share to this young society we live in.
As a young soul, you might find them vexing, but if you take the time to listen to them they can help you in your own journey through life greatly and I sincerely hope what I have written will help you understand them better.
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