"S/he's an old soul." What does that mean?

[raccoon]

Does it require a belief in reincarnation?

[Iggo]

1. I've always thought so.

But to tell you the truth, I'm just guessing at what it means.

[PassingFair]

2. People used to say that about my youngest daughter...

only because she started wearing glasses when she was one,
and she talked like an adult.

Now she is a contact lens-wearing 15 year old,
and no one says that anymore!

[old mark]

3. I always thought it meant that the person referred to had some depth or wisdom beyond

her years...
But hell, racoon, you know I have been wrong before....


mark

[Arkansas Granny]

6. That's how I had always interpreted that remark.

[BoWanZi]

4. LOL about believing in reincarnation but I always thought that...

... it meant that whomever the person is talking about happens to be much more mature or acts much older than they appear.

Like looking at a 6 year old girl who is taking care of her new baby brother and she is feeding it and talking to it and generally acting much older around the baby than her 6 year age belies.

[seabeyond]

5. insightful. nt

[Capn Sunshine]

7. I think you get a sense of awareness when you look into a baby's eyes

Some babies, it's like you see "goo Goo Goo" but a few, you see a little person thinking, even though they can't talk. So they are already present so to speak, like they've been here before. Hence the "old soul" idea.