9 things old souls do every day without realizing it

Are you an old soul?

After researching this article, I think I probably am.

I’m not particularly bothered about material possessions. I prefer a small circle of true friends to a large group of more superficial ones. I need plenty of alone time.

And even when I was young, I was more interested in pursuits like reading than I was in going out.

The thing is, we don’t see ourselves from the outside, and so we don’t always realize exactly what we are like.

You may be an old soul without even realizing it. And if that’s the case, these daily behaviors will show you that you have an old soul.

1) Seek alone time

Being an old soul isn’t the same as being an introvert. However, there is some overlap between the two personality types. Especially when it comes to alone time.

For young people, spending time with their friends is everything. But older people and old souls often recharge their batteries from time spent alone.

Being alone allows old souls to think about themselves, their lives, and their place in the world. This kind of deep thought is what gives old souls their uncommon wisdom.

2) Look for opportunities to learn

For an old soul, every day is a school day.

One of the defining characteristics of an old soul is that they love to learn. And it’s something they can do every day.

Old souls have an enormous curiosity about the world and love to learn new things. That often means they prefer to spend time reading alone rather than going out and socializing.

And it’s not just books. Documentaries, podcasts, and anything else that feeds their thirst for knowledge are the things old souls like to spend their time on.

It all helps to keep them learning and growing.

3) Think about their lives

Being an old soul doesn’t mean you have to be some kind of silent philosopher. But it generally does mean that you spend more time than the average person thinking about life.

In fact, this is something that old souls will do just about every day. They take time each day to reflect on their own actions and the actions of others and fit them into their ideas about life.

Again, this is part of what makes old souls as wise and composed as they are. By taking time each day to think about the world, their place in it, and their own emotions, old souls constantly improve themselves.

4) Focus on the bigger picture

Part of this thinking means focusing on the bigger picture.

You see, old souls know that the story isn’t just about them. We may all feel like the main character in our lives, but maturity means understanding that that isn’t really true.

Ultimately, you are just one person among billions, creating your own story just like everybody else is.

Old souls don’t lose sight of that fact. Far from making them feel insignificant, it helps them to focus on their goals and keep their efforts directed toward what they want.

This can make old souls very successful people. But it also means that they will not be made arrogant by their success, because they understand how little it all means in the grand scheme of things.

5) Understand their emotions

All this self-reflection gives old souls an enormous amount of emotional control.

Often, these people seem calm, collected, and even unemotional.

But that’s not really true. Old souls feel things just as intensely as everybody else.

The difference is, they are less prone to acting on their emotions.

A mature person understands that emotions come and go, and the best way to make decisions is to take emotion out of it and use rationality and reason instead.

We are all emotional animals and old souls know this. They are aware of their own emotional patterns and can separate how they feel from how they act.

6) Give advice

By now, you’ve probably noticed that old souls are some of the wisest people you could encounter.

That’s why people often go to them for advice.

The uncommon thoughtfulness and maturity of old souls makes them ideal people to ask for solutions to problems. And the people around them can’t help but notice that.

That means that old souls are often approached by others for solutions to problems.

If you fulfill that role in your family or group of friends, it may well be because you’re an old soul. And it means the people around you trust your wisdom and advice to guide them in their lives.

Take it as the compliment it is.

7) Spend time at home

This is another trait that old souls often share with introverts.

Partly, it’s because mature people don’t need to look outside themselves to find what makes them happy.

And partly it’s because the things that interest an old soul, such as reading and learning, are often best done at home.

For an old soul, a comfortable home is a sanctuary in the chaos of the world. It’s where they feel safe and able to do some of their most profound thinking, and it’s also the place they have the most power to shape for their own comfort.

That’s why old souls tend to be homebodies. Whatever their home may look like, they probably really enjoy spending time there.

8) Chart their own path

Because they understand themselves and the world so well, old souls are not afraid to chart their own path through life.

Sometimes, this can show itself in some very unusual behavior. Old souls may live very eccentrically compared to the people around them.

But it’s not always so obvious. Sometimes, it can be as simple as choosing an unusual job or living somewhere other people wouldn’t think of.

On a daily basis, old souls can often seem unconventional. They may not be interested in the same things as people around them and may have priorities that other people don’t understand.

But don’t expect them to apologize for it. Old souls know what it takes to make themselves happy, and they go after it without shame – as they should.

9) Cultivate strong relationships

As I mentioned earlier, old souls don’t necessarily need to be introverts. But they do share several traits in common.

Another of those traits is that old souls tend to have fewer but more meaningful relationships than other people.

That’s because old souls are too mature to be drawn in by the superficial. They are not interested in relationships of convenience and are only looking for meaningful connections with other people.

That tends to happen rarely. But when it does, it’s a magical thing.

Old souls are noticeable for having only a few friends, but having much deeper and more meaningful connections with those people than those with lots of superficial friends have.

After all, old souls aren’t interested in anything that isn’t real.

Being an old soul

Being an old soul isn’t always easy. Sometimes, it can mean being completely out of step with the flashy and superficial world around you.

At the same time, old souls are often loved for their wisdom and ability to give great advice.

Maybe you know someone who displays the behaviors listed above. Maybe that person is you. Either way, they are a clear sign that you are dealing with an old soul.