People who find these 7 hobbies fascinating usually have an old soul's approach to life

Ever meet someone who just feels different from everyone else their age?

They're not interested in what's trending. They don't chase the latest fads. They have this quiet depth that makes them seem like they've lived multiple lifetimes.

People call them old souls.

I've always been drawn to these types of people. They move through life at a different pace, with different priorities. While everyone else is rushing toward the next thing, they're savoring what's in front of them.

And I've noticed something interesting. Old souls tend to gravitate toward certain hobbies. Activities that require patience, depth, and a genuine appreciation for things that can't be rushed or optimized.

If these hobbies fascinate you, there's a good chance you have an old soul's approach to life:

1. Collecting vinyl records

Streaming is convenient. You can access millions of songs instantly with a tap.

But old souls prefer vinyl.

They love the ritual of pulling a record from its sleeve, placing it on the turntable, lowering the needle. They appreciate the warmth of analog sound. They enjoy reading liner notes and studying album art.

This hobby requires intention. You can't skip through songs or shuffle randomly. You commit to listening to an album the way the artist intended, from start to finish.

My friend Sarah has hundreds of vinyl records lining her apartment walls. People always ask why she doesn't just use Spotify. She says it's because vinyl forces her to actually listen instead of just having background noise.

That's the old soul approach. Choosing depth and presence over convenience and speed.

2. Restoring old furniture or vintage items

Most people see a beat-up old chair at a thrift store and walk past it. Old souls see potential. History. A story worth preserving.

They're fascinated by the idea of taking something discarded and bringing it back to life. Of honoring the craftsmanship of a different era.

This hobby requires patience that most people don't have. See, you can't rush furniture restoration. You have to work slowly, carefully, respecting the piece and the process.

I started refinishing an old wooden desk I found at an estate sale. It took me three months, and most people thought I was crazy for putting in that much effort when I could just buy something new.

But that's missing the point, in my opinion. For me, the effort is part of the reward. 

3. Hand-writing letters or keeping a journal

Why write by hand when you could type, you might ask? 

Old souls will tell you -- because the medium matters.

There's something about putting pen to paper that feels more real, more permanent than digital words. Your handwriting carries your energy. The physical act of writing slows your thoughts and makes you more intentional with your words.

People who keep handwritten journals are processing their lives in a tangible way. They're creating something physical that represents their inner world.

I have stacks of journals going back fifteen years. I could have kept them digitally and saved space. But there's something irreplaceable about flipping through pages I actually touched, seeing how my handwriting has changed, finding old bookmarks and pressed flowers between the pages.

Old souls appreciate the analog. The tactile. The things that can't be copied and pasted.

4. Studying genealogy or family history

While others are focused on the future, old souls are drawn to the past. 

They want to know where they came from, who their ancestors were, and what stories shaped their family lineage.

Genealogy research requires serious patience. Hours combing through records. Piecing together fragments of information. Following threads that might lead nowhere.

But old souls find this fascinating because they understand that knowing your past helps you understand yourself. They feel connected to something bigger than their individual life.

My cousin spent two years tracing our family tree back six generations. She found stories about great-great-grandparents who immigrated with nothing. 

That sense of continuity, of being part of a larger story, appeals to the old soul perspective. We're not isolated individuals. We're links in a chain that extends far behind and far ahead of us.

5. Learning traditional crafts like knitting, woodworking, or pottery

Old souls are drawn to crafts that humans have practiced for centuries. Not because they're trendy or Instagrammable, but because they connect you to a lineage of makers. Because they require skill developed over time. Because you create something useful with your own hands.

These hobbies can't be rushed. You can't speed-run mastery in pottery or woodworking. You have to put in hours of practice, make countless mistakes, develop an intimate understanding of your materials.

Old souls appreciate the satisfaction of following techniques that haven't changed in hundreds of years. They're not looking for instant gratification. They want the kind of fulfillment that comes from patience, practice, and genuine skill.

6. Stargazing or amateur astronomy

Most people rarely look up at the night sky anymore. 

Except for old souls. Oh, they can stare at stars for hours.

They're fascinated by our place in the cosmos. By the fact that light from distant stars traveled for years just to reach their eyes. By the humbling realization that we're tiny specks in an incomprehensibly vast universe.

This hobby requires no equipment beyond your eyes and your patience. Just you, the night sky, and your willingness to contemplate your existence.

There's something profoundly grounding about looking up and realizing those were the same stars that guided sailors centuries ago. The same patterns that inspired myths and navigation.

Old souls crave that kind of timeless connection.

7. Reading classic literature and philosophy

While everyone else is reading the latest bestseller, old souls are working through Dostoyevsky or Marcus Aurelius.

They're drawn to books that have survived decades or centuries. And no, they aren't intimidated by the heft contained in them.  

Classic literature and philosophy don't offer easy answers or quick takeaways. They require concentration, reflection, sometimes multiple readings to fully appreciate.

But old souls don't mind. They understand that some things are worth the effort. That wrestling with complex ideas is how you develop depth of thought.

I myself keep a copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius on my nightstand. I've read it five times and I still find new insights. Written nearly 2,000 years ago, it still speaks to the human experience in ways that feel urgent and relevant.

That's what draws old souls to these texts -- the recognition that human nature doesn't change and that some questions are worth returning to again and again.

Final thoughts

If you're fascinated by several of these hobbies, you probably approach life differently than most people your age.

You're not interested in what's fast, flashy, or optimized for maximum efficiency. You're drawn to what's deep, meaningful, and connected to something larger than yourself.

Rudá Iandê writes in his new book "Laughing in the Face of Chaos: A Politically Incorrect Shamanic Guide for Modern Life", "You have both the right and responsibility to explore and try until you know yourself deeply."

That's exactly what these hobbies allow you to do. They're pathways to understanding yourself and your place in the world.

That's the old soul way. Choosing substance over speed. Depth over novelty. Connection over convenience.

The world might move fast around you. Trends might come and go. But you're content moving at your own pace, pursuing interests that can't be rushed or mass-produced.

And there's something beautiful about that. Something increasingly rare in a world that prizes constant newness.

Keep pursuing what fascinates you, even if others don't understand. Old souls have always been a bit out of step with their times. That's part of what makes you who you are.