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

[HamburgerBoy]

I walk out of the lab I teach after administering an exam, and students in the following section ask me for answers. I happen to be waiting outside the lab and people ask if I'm a freshman. A professor walks in, and has to ask where the TA is. I fucking love it. The only depressing thing is my receding hairline. I would love to stay like an 18 year old, just without acne.

EDIT: I can't really grow facial hair, btw. My face won't allow it. It knows it is too beautiful.

 

[JamesV]

I look young for my age, and was carded through my mid 30's.

I'd call that a benefit. Older people dismiss you as a threat, and younger people don't see you as an alien.

OP's post is about some English protagonist's problems; you look too young for the old farts in power to take you seriously. Maybe if was in a semi-powerful cash-poor family in the 1950's, this might be interesting.

One thing I can say with absolute certainty - looks are only important to those that fixate on them. My best friend went bald around 30 and could pick up any girl with an ease I always marveled at.

 

[bbhaag]

I've noticed this too over the years. I got married and still nothing so we decided to have children and still nothing. It wasn't until I grew my beard out that I finally started to notice a difference. As weird as it sounds I think that people look at me differently now.:shrug:

 

[Irenicus]

This is the best possible problem to have. Having a baby face and looking young just means you look good for a longer period of time. This is a huge boon to gay men, since men are attracted to looks. For Straight men, not so much. You are right that women may see that youthful visage as a marker of immaturity and a lack of financial success. But that can be overcome, with the added perk of something shiny to look at.

 

[Irenicus]

I walk out of the lab I teach after administering an exam, and students in the following section ask me for answers. I happen to be waiting outside the lab and people ask if I'm a freshman. A professor walks in, and has to ask where the TA is. I fucking love it. The only depressing thing is my receding hairline. I would love to stay like an 18 year old, just without acne.

EDIT: I can't really grow facial hair, btw. My face won't allow it. It knows it is too beautiful.

Pro Tip on the receding hairline. Finasteride. You are welcome.

 

[Carson Dyle]

There's a very big difference between looking young and having a "baby face". Someone with a baby face typically just looks like a doofus, and that never changes until the day they die. Anyone under 30 probably wouldn't know whether or not they look young, but by the time they're 40, 45, they'll know.

Looking young is absolutely not an "obstacle" at that point. But it's also not necessarily a great advantage unless you're trying to do things like land a job or a mate. You better damned well believe that if you're 45 and you're out looking for a job, it's a hell of a lot better to look 35 than to look 55.

 

[biostud]

I look younger than I am and cannot grow a beard. But I don't think I have a baby face.

First day at my work (at age 28) I was told by a cleaning lady that pupils where not allowed to be in the teachers lounge, when no teachers were present. (We have pupils up to 20 years old at my work)

 

[StinkyPinky]

Have a couple of kids. They'll age you fast.

When I was 27 people thought I was 20. Then I had two kids and I'm 34 and no one says I look young anymore. :\

 

[Zstream]

I've experienced reverse ageism many times. I've been told that for raises, promotions that I still have many years to get that position and I shouldn't need a raise since I was young and didn't have a family. I swear, two team leaders told me this and its eventually why I left. I dressed suit and tie, clean hair cut etc... I started to grow a beard and people started to take me more serious but I left to soon to realize the impact.



PS not a parody post either.

 

[Mixolydian]

Interestingly though, without facial hair people think I'm a lot younger than I really am. But WITH facial hair people think I'm a lot older than I really am. :hmm: