For a man looking too young for his age is a major obstacle

[futurefields]

If you are a man with a baby face you usually wont be taken seriously in life, unless you are already wealthy or extremely gifted or talented in some way.

 

[JMapleton]

This is true. I'm 30 and have been asked what high school I go to. I can rarely get people to wait on me in stores or car dealerships, especially nice ones, and talking to women my age depresses me.

Sometimes I don't shave (takes about a week for me start to look scruffy) to get the attention of older people. My voice sounds pretty young too though.

 

[Sonikku]

Curious how this would be an advantage for women, but a disadvantage for men.

 

[MrCassdin]

Remember that crap about "dress for success" they taught you in school in the 90s? Well, turns out it's true. Your haircut, clothing choice and how you carry yourself will affect how you are treated more than you having a baby face. If people aren't taking you seriously, don't assume it's just your face.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Curious how this would be an advantage for women, but a disadvantage for men.

An older man is probably seen as being more stable, financial and emotionally, and is more capable of making good, level-headed decisions even under stress. While women in a leadership role also seem to benefit from age as well (and do so quite successfully ), many women do not seek that role.

 

[mmntech]

Curious how this would be an advantage for women, but a disadvantage for men.

For men, age is viewed as a measure of experience and maturity.

For me, it's been a big problem over the years. I'm turning 29 in a couple months but strangers regularly ask me what school I go to. Then I tell them I have a BA and a graduate certificate, and I haven't been in school for five years. I still regularly get carded at the liquor store too. Which means the staff there aren't quite sure if I'm over 19. I'm surprised nobody's tried to claim my DL is a fake ID.

The worst of it though is having people talk down to you like you're some punk kid. I've had people be absolute dicks to me, I suspect for this reason. I'm my own worst enemy though as I tend to get defensive in these situations.

 

[Tombstone1881]

If you are a man with a baby face you usually wont be taken seriously in life, unless you are already wealthy or extremely gifted or talented in some way.

(I know what you mean. I did too when I was young.)

That is only true when you're young. And 30 is young. (My late father always said 'You're a kid til you're 30', and I hated that sentiment, but as I grew older I found out he was right.

Some men in their 50's look like they're in their 60's.
Those "young" looking guys will only look like 40's in their 50's, which is much more beneficial in the world of work. Especially the computer industry where 30's is the optimum age.

 

[88keys]

Curious how this would be an advantage for women, but a disadvantage for men.

Societal expectations.

Men are generally considered more attractive when they are older, while the opposite is true for women.

That being said, I'd rather buy a car from Mike Rowe than Justin Bieber.

And I understand his plight as I'm usually mistaken for someone about 10 or more years younger than my age. It kinda sucks in your 30's because you've reached a point in life when you're tired of the drama queen crap associated with chicks under 25, but it's hard to get chick your age to take you seriously.

 

[Ronstang]

When I was 30 I still got carded everywhere there was alcohol and this was long before this country started demonizing alcohol....now I'm 51 and all the young girls think I'm in my mid 30's....WIN!!!

 

[Strk]

Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm 31 and most people guess I'm in my early 20s, especially when I'm all shaved.

 

[shortylickens]

Enjoy it. When 21 year old girls squish up their faces at you then you know its all over.

 

[Zodiark1593]

Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm 31 and most people guess I'm in my early 20s, especially when I'm all shaved.

Shaving and hair seem to present the two extremes in myself. I'm currently 23. When I go unshaved and let my hair grow out, I've been told I look like in my 30s. On the other hand, cutting my hair short and shaving, I barely look 20.

 

[iGas]

I have to agree that people do not take youngl looking people seriously.

I once went to a job interview in my mid 30s and the older interviewer pretty much told me to get out of his office after looking at the achievements in my resume. Before I left the office, he told the receptionist and a few other people to guess my age and tell him that I'm not a 17 year old.

...I got the job after I shown him my driver license.

But, the blessing for looking young is that hot young women still goes after you when you are in your mid 40s

 

[iGas]

When I was 30 I still got carded everywhere there was alcohol and this was long before this country started demonizing alcohol....now I'm 51 and all the young girls think I'm in my mid 30's....WIN!!!

I have to agree with the WIN!!! part, I'm in my mid 40s and women as young as college girls in their late teens and early 20s still ask for my phone number thinking that I'm in my late 20s.

 

[child of wonder]

I'm 35 and look like I'm in my mid 20's. That might explain why I get carded less now that I look 25-ish. People are shocked when I tell them my kids are 12 and 10 years old.

My wife has the same problem; she's 30 and looks 18. It infuriates her to no end because she gets carded everywhere and people don't assume our kids are hers, merely that she's their sister or babysitter.

 

[futurefields]

Enjoy it. When 21 year old girls squish up their faces at you then you know its all over.

the thing is even the younger girls get weirded out if your face doesnt match your age. i've had the interest of girls in their early 20's, and they are assuming I am their age. but then when I tell them I am 31, it gets weird.

and of course, girls my own age, forget about it lol. it just looks weird. i totally understand why they aren't interested.

for me personally it's both my facial features, which are very "boyish" and also the fact that I am half-white and half-spanish. but my complexion and hair color make me look full white. but i have the facial hair characteristics of a spanish man, so I look like a white guy that cant grow facial hair. and you know how popular beards are nowadays.. sucks not being able to participate.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I look too young and it's always been annoying. People always ask me what school I go to and I have to tell them I've been working in telecommunications for the past 5 years after moving away from IT/computers. Then they think I must have been so smart and I skipped a whole bunch of years in school or something then I have to tell them I'm actually 28.

Best is when I bought my house, my parents were always around helping me with stuff, there was contractors in and out etc.. it was rare that I was going to the house alone unless it was to drop off stuff as I was still living at my parent's until everything at my house is finalized.

One day I'm there alone just doing some work and neighbor asks where my parents are, wondering why I've been left alone at the new house. He thought it was my parents that bought the house and I was just a little kid lol.

I don't like facial hair, otherwise I could stop shaving for 2 days and probably gain like 10 years.

 

[Imp]

I got carded buying a big bottle of rum, which I am going to use to get wasted tonight, a few days ago... First time in a while. I'm about a decade past the drinking age.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Oh I get carded all the time even if I want to buy a $2 scratch ticket that I won with another $2 scratch ticket that I just turned in. It's pretty sad lol.

It's actually a pain in the ass since I have to remember to bring my ID with me if I want to buy anything like a lotto ticket or alcohol.

 

[Mixolydian]

That;s why I have full facial hair. Without it I look like a 12 year old.

 

[drebo]

I'm 29...haven't been carded in years.

Looking older has definitely served me extremely well, as my employers and my customers tend to believe I have a lot of experience and have my shit together. The fact that I do, actually, have 10 years experience doesn't hurt, but if I was baby-faced they wouldn't be so quick to believe me.

For women, they can use looking young to get ahead in a few industries, but not all.

 

[Imp]

Oh wait, I forgot to add that I'm bald. I get carded even though I shave my head and it's obvious that my hairline is heavily receded to the back. Legal drinking age in Ontario is 19. Like, seriously, you still think I'm under 19?

On the other hand, I've been "complemented" on my young looking face (little facial hair even if I grow it out). And I'm 5'4".

 

[SearchMaster]

Fuck all y'all. I'm 47 and probably look 57. And get off my lawn!

 

[OverVolt]

This is why I grew a beard. Ahhhhh its so nice.

 

[OverVolt]

That;s why I have full facial hair. Without it I look like a 12 year old.

Brofist!