Do you consider yourself to be 'middle-aged'?

[CambCelt]

...and what is 'middle-aged' anyway?

Is it a polite form of 'old' but not yet 'very old'?

I'm 35, so I think I'm about in the middle. I think that I'm M.A.

Many say that 40 is 'Over the hill' ... etc ...

[mimseycal]

You are a baby ... 35 is only just starting out really when you think that we now anticipate people living into their 80's and 90's ...

[CambCelt]

You are a baby ... 35 is only just starting out really when you think that we now anticipate people living into their 80's and 90's ...

Lol, if I get to 50 I'll be well surprised!

[mimseycal]

Watch it Paul! You'll be there before you know where you are ... I know of what I speak

[A_B]

I'm 36 and would never class myself as middle aged, but I don't know what age I'd class it as either. Whatever age I'd decide it was would just keep getting moved along as I got close to it anyway.

I don't feel old or anything, but my husband's age seems so much younger sounding then mine because he's still in his bottom thirties and I'm in my top - I look at least ten years younger then him though! :

[timey]

Lol, if I get to 50 I'll be well surprised!

Why, what are you planning to do? Go out following a massive booze-up or something? 50 is nothing, but of course I can say that having attained that age just recently. I would say middle-aged starts at 50, not before.

[timey]

I'm 36 and would never class myself as middle aged, but I don't know what age I'd class it as either. Whatever age I'd decide it was would just keep getting moved along as I got close to it anyway.

Yeah, I think it is a natural tendency to do that because I think it's because it is a thought to think of yourself as middle-aged, and you never really feel how you think you might feel being middle-aged, IYKWIM. Ultimately, age is just a number and terms like "middle-aged" tend to mean more than just how far you are through life, so I think it's something that we don't apply to ourselves. But if someone wants to call me middle-aged that's fine it's just that people then make assumptions based upon that.

[Ck]

I think if we take the age when education is finished with = 22 (ish if you go to uni) then the age when you can retire = that'll be about 75 and go halfway between those then you'll get middle aged. It's sort of middle of adulthood rather than halfway through the cycle of your life. So, by my reckoning middle aged is 48 and a half.

[A_B]

So how long do you stay middle aged for?

[mimseycal]

Till you are bored with it