Why do we see ourselves differently than other people see us?

In real life, not everyone looks like your picture, and encounters online are probably the time when people most realize this (often harsh) reality. In fact, there are even threads with endless messages on social media where people share their experience of meeting someone completely different from the picture shown on their profile. This usually has nothing to do with photoshop or with the creation of a fake profile, known as catfishing, but there are other factors that affect how we perceive ourselves and how others see us.

we, from awesome.club, we found out why our appearance is so different to other people and now we are going to show you a little more about it, so you have a little more knowledge about it.

When you look in the mirror, who do you see? Certainly not who other people see, as our reflection in the mirror is reversed by our brain. Raise your left hand and you will see yourself in the mirror raising your right hand. From the way we part our hair, to the way we smile, our faces are not symmetrical. Our image, seen in the mirror, is not the same as the one we show the world — the left and right sides are reversed.

Experienced photographers say the camera often distorts our appearance and can change it for better or worse (as when making selfies). Surprisingly, our brain works like a Photoshop. Our eyes (with the help of the brain) automatically adjust to darkness and brightness.

Our cameras aren’t that amazing, as they can only be adjusted to focus either the lights or the shadows, but never both simultaneously. That’s why a camera will never be able to “see” your true appearance and reflect it as other people’s eyes do.

Our eyes “cut out” unnecessary details when we see someone, which is why people around us see us in a more detailed way, while our image in a photo is altered by the existing details in the image. Because of these details, our photos can make us look unflattering, even if we are pretty.

A recent study found that unattractive people overestimate their attractiveness when comparing themselves to strangers. The flip side of the coin is that attractive people often miss your charm and underestimate it.

Another fact is that the attractive people compare themselves to others. Those who are not, form their self-esteem from their own perception of unattractive individuals. Therefore, our view of ourselves can be affected by the people around us, by the way we compare our appearance to theirs.

Even though comparing ourselves can be a natural impulse, if in some cases it boosts self-confidence and motivation, in others it doesn’t help at all. Comparing ourselves means fighting our insecurities, which can give us a different image of what we really look like or our life.

Fear can heighten our perception. Anxiety can target our insecurities and intensify them, as if we were looking for threats. For example, if we are afraid of having wrinkles, even when we are young, we are likely to notice these marks when we look in the mirror.

Mood swings, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalance, poor diet and other physical and mental changes or conditions can affect our perception of ourselves. Let’s take the power outage as an example. When we feel tired, we hardly smile and this can mean lack of motivation. In this way, since people are like mirrors and reflect what the other projects, we will not be recognized as we see ourselves.

If you’re curious about what you look like to other people and want to see yourself as others see you, you need a second mirror to undo the first one and reverse directions again. Surprisingly, this service is offered by some companies and they suggest that you look at yourself in a “true mirror”.

First patented in 1887, the real mirror uses a combination of two others, placed at right angles. It forms a continuous, three-dimensional, non-inverted image. People who had the opportunity to look at themselves in a real mirror said their experience was, “As if you were meeting me for the first time.” It shows the radical difference in how you see yourself and what you look like to others.

Would you like to see yourself in a real mirror? Does your appearance look a lot or a little different in the photographs?