8 Habits of People Who Are ‘Old Souls,’ Psychologists Reveal – Parade

Published Oct 25, 2026 5:45 PM EDT

By Sophie Hirsh, News and Lifestyle Writer

What do you think of when you hear the term “old souls”? Odds are, you think of buttoned-up, overly mature children or younger people who dress like they’re from a previous decade.

And that would make sense, since old souls are typically associated with being wise beyond their years, or having taste in music and movies that reflects previous generations. However, the label can actually refer to so much more than that.

That’s not all; people who identify as old souls tend to have a slew of wonderful characteristics and habits that make them who they are. But what does having an old soul even mean?

To learn more, we spoke with two psychologists: Dr. Cathryn Goldman, PsyD—a licensed clinical psychologist and an adjunct clinical supervisor at Yeshiva University—and Dr. Carol M. Panetta, PsyD, a psychologist and the President of the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis.

According to Dr. Goldman and Dr. Panetta, there are eight habits that are pretty common among old souls. Curious to learn more? Keep reading for their insights—and make sure to let us know in the comments which habit you identify with the most.

What Makes Someone an Old Soul, According to Psychologists

“An ‘old soul’ is someone who, even if they are extremely young, understands that everything in life is more than it seems,” Dr. Panetta tells Parade. “They recognize that every situation has layers of history and even contradictions beneath it. They understand that these layers are reflected by, but not obvious in, the present circumstances.”

Dr. Goldman defines an old soul as “someone whose wisdom extends beyond their years of life.” Older people are, obviously, typically associated with having had more life experiences and being wiser. However, old souls often “demonstrate this wisdom well before the psychosocial developmental stage of ego integrity versus despair,” she points out.

“One contributing factor to the old soul personality may be found in Laura [Carstensen]’s socioemotional selectivity theory, which states that limited time horizon rather than chronological age impacts our values, motivation and choices,” she adds. “Therefore, younger adults who have experienced loss, terminal illness diagnosis or another ‘off-time’ life event may approach situations from a perspective of wisdom that results in decision-making more aligned with the wisdom we typically associate with older adults.”

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