It is a well-known psychological observation that when we look at others, we often perceive them as older than they actually are. Yet, when someone tells us that we look younger than our age, we tend to remember that single compliment for years. Even as time passes and our appearance changes,
that one remark remains etched in our hearts, enduring like an inscription carved in stone. 
There is a reason for this: many of us fear looking old, even when we are, in fact, old. A compliment that suggests otherwise reassures us and speaks to a deep desire to hold on to youth, if only in our own minds, even though we may suspect that the
compliment is offered more out of kindness than conviction.
But why do we see others as older than they actually are? Perhaps it is because, while age is absolute, the concept of being old is relative. We do not judge age against a fixed standard; we judge it against ourselves.
Of course, there are many ways to make ourselves look younger—makeup, cosmetic procedures, or injections of hyaluronic acid. But there is a cheaper and easier alternative: simply persuade ourselves that everyone else looks older. After all, if being old is a relative concept, then so is being young.
