To Look Younger, Older, or Exactly Your Own Age, Essay Example

Whether it is better to look younger, older, or exactly your own age is determined by the definition of better as well as how old the person is.  While this is subjective to the individual, as well as the time period of their lives that they are in, the objective idea of the question is difficult to consider.  The best answer, in this case, would have to be the simplest one, which often simply represents what would seem to be the most natural.

The age of the person is definitely a determination in how they feel about this question.  When a person is younger, they usually believe it is better to look older then what you are.  For those older it’s the opposite.  However, when considering what would be the best, overall, it would seem that the best approach is moderation.  In essence, it seems to be best to look exactly as old as you are.

There are various grounds for this line of reason.  First of all, looking the age that you are is important because it allows others within society to distinguish you from others of different ages.  It is also a good thing to look the age you are because it essentially represents the place that you are at in life.  Finally, if for nothing else, looking the age that you are is representative of the real world, or truth, so it is something that should be expressed.

The importance of being able to distinguish the age of a person by looking at them is rooted in the need to socialize with others of the same generation.  While it is normal for people to associate with individuals of different ages, the need to distinguish between those ages is there, for sociological purposes.

Identity is important in life, therefore, it is important for age and looks to reflect one another.  In this way, having your looks accurately represent your place, or time, in the span of your life, can also be a benefit.  This is beneficial for forming an identity, which, while not necessarily rooted in how you look, can have an impact on it.

Finally, expressing truth is something that is important.  For this reason, a person looking their own age will accurately portray their identity, and so their identity will more closely be associated with the truth of reality. In this sense, there is an aesthetic purity to looing the age that you actually are. In other words, looking one’s own age is a closer representation of the real world.

Looking the age that you are presents an interesting alternative to reality, in which many people actually do look younger or older than they actually are.  In a perfect world, people would probably reflect the age that they feel that they are, only actually growing old when they become tired of life. This, though, is not a position that accurately portrays reality, in which many people age at different rates physically.

The alternative to looking the age you are is either looking younger or older. Looking younger then you are might seem nice in older age, but at a younger age it can be difficult, as it is beneficial to age at the same rate as your peers. On the other hand, looking older then you are might seem to be the best option when younger, but when older, it definitely becomes something that might bother you.  For this reason, looking your own age is the best option.

Works Cited

Brooke, et al. Critical Thinking. McGraw Hill. 2014.