Profile Picture Youth

Have you ever looked at photos of yourself and thought, “Wow, I look young in that picture?” I often keep my profile pictures for many years without changing them because I just forget about them.  My face stays the same. Most of the time I don’t even notice it when I log in.  But when I do, that saying comes to mind, “You’ll never be as young as you are right now.”*

You’ll Look Older Tomorrow

That adage suggests that I should be grateful for how I look today because I will look older tomorrow. What a depressing thought! Or is it ageist? In a society where looking younger is considered a goal, should I regret that my face contains more wrinkles and is framed by mostly grey hair? Society wants me to feel shame about looking older and I think this quote is capitalizing on it. It ignites my inner ageism. It encourages me to keep that old profile picture forever. 

Restore The Balance Between Old And Young

I’ll never be as young as I am today.

I discovered that this idea was adapted from a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. Her words demonstrate a balance between youth and aging:

I prefer it. When I look at my face I want to see time passing. That old profile face didn’t have the knowledge and life experience that I have now. Today’s face reflects all that learning. Tomorrow’s face will have even more. I want to continue my journey with an image from today, not yesterday.** It seems, I need to constantly check for my inner ageism. 

---

* Plot Twist: This quote is taken out of context. Ironically, in its entirety, it is a quote in favour of accepting the aging process and loving the age you are. I was wrong.

“Life is so great that we only get a tiny moment to enjoy everything we see. And that moment is right now. And that moment is counting down. And that moment is always, always fleeting. You will never be as young as you are right now.”
― Neil Pasricha, The Book of Awesome

---

**No, I won’t be updating my profile picture every day. But I will do it more often.

---

How old is your profile picture? Are you keeping it to preserve a more youthful image or did you just forget about it?