Seeing Yourself As Others Do: Camera Perspective

The TikTok inverted filter has sparked curiosity about how we see ourselves compared to how others see us. When we look in the mirror, we see a reversed image of ourselves, and this is what we are used to seeing. In contrast, when we look at ourselves through a phone camera, we see our true image, which can seem unfamiliar and even unflattering. However, it is important to remember that this is how others see us in real life, and we only appear strange to ourselves because we are not used to this view.

Cameras show how people see you

It is a common misconception that mirrors show us what we truly look like. In reality, mirrors show a flipped version of ourselves, meaning that what we see in the mirror is not what others see when they look at us. This is where cameras come in.

The Science Behind It

The image of yourself that you see in the mirror is actually reversed. When you look in a mirror, the light bouncing off your face hits the mirror and then bounces into your eyes. Because the light bounces off the mirror, the image you see is flipped. So, when you look in the mirror, your left eye sees the reflection of your right eye, and vice versa. This is why writing in the mirror looks backwards.

Cameras to the Rescue

Cameras, on the other hand, capture your image as it is, without flipping it. This means that when you look at a photo of yourself, you are seeing the same image that others see when they look at you. This can be a bit of a shock, as most people are more used to seeing their mirrored image, and the un-flipped version can look strange or even ugly to them.

The TikTok Trend

This phenomenon has recently gained attention due to a trend on TikTok. The trend involves using the app's inverted filter, which flips your face, showing you how you appear to others. Many people have been surprised or even horrified by the results, but it's important to remember that this is how you look to your friends and family, and they are likely very familiar with this version of you.

The Bottom Line

So, the next time you're wondering how you look to others, remember that cameras show a more accurate representation of your appearance than mirrors. While it may be a bit jarring to see your un-flipped image, it's important to keep in mind that this is how the world sees you, and that's perfectly normal!

Mirrors show a reversed image

This left-to-right reversal occurs because of our brains interpret the reflection as a rotation. When we look at our reflection, we assume that the person in the mirror has turned 180 degrees to face us. However, the image is only reflected, not rotated. So, when we mentally rotate the image back, it appears reversed.

The left-to-right reversal in mirrors also has to do with the way we read and write. We read and write from left to right, so when we see our reflection, it appears as if the text on our shirt is backward. This contributes to the perception of reversal.

Interestingly, cameras and photos also affect how we perceive ourselves. When we see ourselves in a photo or on camera, we often think we look different or even ugly compared to our mirror image. This is because we are more familiar with our mirror image, which is reversed, and the camera image looks strange to us. However, to others, the camera image is what they are used to seeing, and they likely do not perceive it as strange.

To see yourself as others see you, a simple trick can be done with two mirrors. Place two mirrors together at a right angle and angle them diagonally towards yourself. When you look into the mirrors, close your right eye, and your reflection will do the same, but it will look like your left eye is closed! This setup effectively flips the reversed image from the first mirror, showing you your "true" image as others see you.

You like your mirror image because you're familiar with it

It's natural to like your mirror image because you're more familiar with it. This phenomenon is called the "mere-exposure" effect. It's a behaviour concocted by psychologist Robert Zajonc, which says that people react favourably to things they're most familiar with.

When you look in the mirror, you're seeing a reversed image of yourself. This is what you're used to seeing when you brush your teeth in the morning, shave, or put on makeup. You've established a preference for this look.

When you see a flipped version of yourself, it can seem uncanny and even grotesque because it's the opposite of what you're used to. Your features tend to pop out more to you in your inverted image, and the curves and lines of your face don't match your expectations. This often highlights the asymmetry of your face, which can make you think you look weird or distorted.

However, it's important to remember that no one has a perfectly symmetrical face, not even models or actors. Your face proportions are the same whether you're looking in the mirror or talking to friends. It's just that you're more used to your mirror image, so you like it more.

If you want to see yourself as others see you, you can try an experiment: find a photo of yourself and flip it horizontally. Does it look as good as your mirror image? Chances are, it doesn't, but this is how others are used to seeing you, and it's not "weird" to them.

Mirrors are more accurate than photos

Mirrors are generally considered to be more accurate than photos. This is because mirrors are less susceptible to distortion and provide a 3-D view of yourself in motion.

The Science Behind It

Light rays are reflected into our eyes from the mirror, creating a mirror image. This image is reversed from left to right but remains the same from top to bottom. For example, if you move your left hand to your left, your reflection will move its right hand to its right. This is why text appears backward in a mirror.

Environmental Factors

Photos, on the other hand, are dependent on various environmental factors that can affect their quality. These include lighting, camera angles, and lenses. For instance, wide-angle lenses can distort your image, making your face appear oddly shaped. Additionally, the quality of the camera itself plays a role, with higher-resolution cameras capturing more accurate images.

Familiarity

Another reason why we may perceive ourselves as looking better in mirrors is the mere-exposure effect, also known as the familiarity principle. This means that we tend to prefer things we are more familiar with. Since we see ourselves in the mirror more often than in photos, we become accustomed to our mirror image, and it becomes our preferred representation of ourselves.

A Combination of Both

Interestingly, the way others see us falls somewhere between our mirror image and a photograph. While the mirror image is reversed left to right, it is still a three-dimensional representation of ourselves. On the other hand, a photograph captures the non-mirrored version of us but in two dimensions.

Try the TikTok inverted filter

The inverted filter on TikTok has gone viral, with people using it to see how they appear to others. The filter flips the image on your camera, showing you how others see you—the un-flipped version of your face.

To use the filter, open the TikTok app and tap "Discover". Go to the search bar and type "Inverted". Click on the "Inverted" option under "Effects" (it has an image of two arrows pointing in opposite directions). Then, hit the red camera button at the bottom of the screen and start recording. To invert your video, simply tap the screen.

The inverted filter can be a bit of a shock to users, as it shows them their un-flipped image, which they are usually not accustomed to seeing. This image can seem uncanny and distorted because the curves and lines of your face don't match up to what you expect to see. However, it's important to remember that this is how everyone else sees you, and it's only unusual to you because you're used to seeing your mirrored image.

While the inverted filter can be fun to try, it's important to keep in mind that it might impact your self-esteem. The filter has been criticised for making people feel insecure about their appearance and reinforcing unrealistic beauty standards, such as the idea that faces should be symmetrical. If you are feeling confident, give it a go! But if you are having a good self-esteem day, it might be best to avoid this filter.

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