Self-Image without an Image of Oneself? 

100% agree.

Me too. It’s more about who you are rather than what you look like.

Ok, that makes me feel better. It's a bit weird feeling like you've totally misunderstood something your whole life!

The way I understand self image (and the way I understand Wikipedia on the subject) is that the "inner" qualities are just as or even more important for the self image than the outer ones. "I am thin" or "I am fat" are sure part of it, though. That's also where resistance to change comes in. I think I'd get a personality crisis if I'd put on a lot of weight in a short time, because being thin is part of my self image.

@@Kenionatus Ah, I see. So moreso the part of the physical that you really identify with, rather than every single physical thing about you.

Me too. I don't literally see myself, but do as you described

Same.

I can see very vivid images in my head but I’ve also always thought of self image as how you see yourself as far as traits. Any time I hear self image that’s what comes to mind just things I like about myself and things I don’t, or even how I think others perceive me.

I think "self image" is not a good word for it. I think "self envisioning" is a proper term. Self image is more of personality characteristics of yourself. Personality wise how do you perceive yourself. Which everybody can do. Self envisioning is having the ability to see a mirror image of yourself in your head.

Yeah, I think in this instance at least I can be a bit grateful for my aphantasia.

@@grumpystina Perhaps we're more affected by the company we keep because we can't "see" ourselves in our heads? Like, if someone makes a negative comment about how we look, we're more likely to believe it because we can't see the truth without a mirror? I might just have been lucky to surround myself with people who didn't care about those things.

I'm so glad you find it helpful. It's definitely a shock. I keep trying to figure out how I missed it. Why does nobody talk about this stuff? It seems so much more interesting than most of the things I talk to people about 😄. Honestly, I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. I keep waiting for everyone to say "Ha ha, We fooled you. Can't believe you fell for it." It just seems so fantastical, like magic. I also wonder about how different my life may have been. Seems like everyone else is having such a completely different experience.

I found out when the professor at Exeter did a study, part of his survey was on the BBC I think so I contacted him and did the full survey. My brain does seem to know there are images but they don't appear in my "mind's eye" and I have found these videos enlightening. Memories are not triggered by tastes or smells or music though I do "talk to myself" so my mind isn't quiet lol

@@quietmindinside4808 I think it was a consciousness thing. Like you know when things get normalized that years ago no one even thought were not ok? We were not prepared years ago to know this information so as humans, we did not put it "out there" to discuss. It's weird but I can't think of any other option on how this just suddenly came up, not even doctors studied it, and now it seems we might be 10% of the population if not more. It also means it's not that important for our existence as humans if we were just the same as others before we put a name to it although our experiences might have been veeery different.

I have aphantasia as well, and an almost quiet mind. I’m not 100 on if we have the same experiences in our mind when it comes to inner voice. I too can fall asleep very easily. I also don’t have an inner voice that tells me something like “Did you turn off the stove?”. I have to consciously think about it, otherwise I won’t even bother to check. Now I have been cooking for all my life and haven’t burnt down my house, but I do understand that I’ve got a different way of thinking. Also I really am drawn to doing things with people because it’s what makes memories for me and because I can’t imagine doing things with people, at least not in a vivid way.

Thanks, that's really interesting.

Same

I can’t relate to any of that 😂 jeez my brain is really wonky

I hate looking at myself in the mirror! It feels so uncomfortable. I've noticed, too, that on video calls, my eyes are constantly moving around because I don't want to focus on my face on the screen. That's a really good point about our identity not being linked to an image or age. I definitely agree. Thinking about myself in any time before now would have little benefit for me because I don't feel any difference between these "selves".

So do you have vanity?

😄 Thanks! I'll remind my husband in case he's forgotten 🤣.

shame. we look better in mirrors,lol

you might have aphantasia

@@humorme5874 I can imagine myself literally, like I can see myself in my head. However, when I think of myself I'm not always visualizing my face if that makes sense? I'm looking more inward of who I am. On the contrary, if I'm describing a series of events to someone with myself included in the story, I can see myself visually in the story I'm telling.

Aww young people can be so cruel to each other. As you age, you will meet more mature people to become friends with. I struggle with my thoughts (inner dialogue and images) ruling me, it's hard to feel calm when there's always a dialogue going on in your head. It's anxiety inducing. Research all the positive things about Aphantasia. Don't see it as a negative. You have a gift that most people don't have.

If you're careful not to make crass jokes about people with perceived disabilities, then you are good. There is a whole lot of psychopathy and bad, so if you reflect on your actions and see that you mostly create positivity, your lack of inner voice or visualization is no impediment on the greatness of your person.

Same, I realised a few days ago that I have aphantasia and now I’m just watching as much video about it as possible. I especially love this channel cause I can relate so much to her, it’s like if almost everything she says is exactly like my experience with aphantasia.

My husband is like this, too. It really blows my mind.

Quiet Mind Inside and it blows my mind how your mind must be a peaceful place compared to mine lol. Sometimes when I try to go to sleep, the “show” starts and I keep seeing images on my eyelids and it’s very hard to stop them. After watching a horror movie it can be faces, but the faces will turn into zombie and demon faces... then I have to get up and try to sleep later because I know damn well they will be part of my dream if I’m able to fall asleep at all.

@@barnaby1987 That sounds terrifying! I hate scary movies, and I can't even see any of it in my head after. Must be a thousand times worse for you!

I'm so glad they've been helpful! It's really nice so to hear. Thank you!

I believe it is easier to live just in the present. I rarely think about the past at all unless I'm asked about it. I even more rarely try to think about the future. I do think that dealing with grief is a lot easier for us. I had a close friend pass away back in college. I remember that I was devastated at the time, but now if I think of him, I just have an overall pleasant feeling of it because I'm not focused on the fact that he's gone - I just remember the good times we had together. I think this is also partly because I can't re-feel past emotions. I can remember that I felt them, but there is no residual feelings when I think about them again. Apparently, this is unusual as well. I definitely think it is helpful for dealing with grief, though.

@@quietmindinside4808 Wait, have you mentioned this before? About not re-feeling emotions? That's another mind-blower for me! Sounds nice. I'm basically covered in old emotions.

@@ksmontanaro Hmm, maybe just in comments. I actually didn't realize it until I was doing a questionnaire for an aphantasia study I'm participating in. There were a bunch of questions asking about all the senses, and I knew I couldn't do any of those in my head, so it wasn't so shocking. But then it asked me to re-feel happy and sad emotions from the past, and I couldn't do that either. Honestly, I didn't realize it was a thing until I read the questions and then asked people about it. Seems like it's not true for all aphants, though. Some still re-feel emotions, just like some still have an inner voice. I just happen to be "blind" to everything I guess.

I think it is. I have the same experience with grief as you do. I never understood why people were unable to get over their dead ones but now it makes sense. I don't hold into any image because I don't have it so in my experience, thinking about that person is the same now as when they were alive. It's the same reason why I tend to have a vague "image" or sense of the people I know but I have to see them to really remember they exist. It's all just like "there" if it makes sense but I do feel a lot of emotions so it's not like I'm a robot that does not feel anything about people. I used to have a really hard time about this before.

Yes, I definitely think there is some kind of connection! The more I speak with people, the more I feel aphants are likely to fall on the extreme ends of the spectrum. Either we never think about our self-image at all, or we have extreme views on it because it's harder to see the truth when one only sees oneself when actually looking in a mirror.

Same! I thought they were 2 different things and in my 2 years knowing I have aphantasia I never related them until this video and now everything makes sense.

Wow, that's really amazing!

@@quietmindinside4808 When you approach a task you have never done, before, how do you decide if it is likely to be possible for you to accomplish it? This question can apply to reaching something you have not reached for, before, or picking up something that might be too heavy for you to lift. If you cannot have your mental model of yourself try it, first, before you actually try to do it, does that mean that you try to sometimes do ridiculous things? This is why I say that my self image is a fully functional model of myself, that I have to update, on a regular basis, as I discover the hard way, what I can and cannot do. I don't always "see" this model as a movie, but fragments of it attempt to do things I am considering trying, to decide if they are worth trying.

@@jpopelish Honestly, I was a bit baffled by your question, so I had to discuss it with my husband to figure out what was happening, and my mind has been blown again. I asked my husband what would happen if the kids threw a toy plane into a tree. How would he know if he could reach it? He said he would indeed visualize himself reaching for it. So, I asked what he would do if he determined he couldn't reach it. He said he would look around for a stick, and then visualize himself using it. I would do none of these things. I would just look at the plane, know if I could reach it or not, and if not, I would look at the stick and know if it would be long enough or not. I wouldn't see anything in my head; I would just be able to guess by knowing how long my reach is and the comparative length of the stick. This led to a discussion about how we estimate length, and here's where the mind blowing part comes in. So, my husband held two of his fingers apart and asked me how long the distance was, and I guessed about 3 inches. He asked me how I knew. Honestly, the whole process is silent and imageless in my head, but I know logically the lengths of certain things, so I make a comparison. So, for example, I know a thumb is about 2 inches, and the distance he held up was greater than his thumb, but less than two, so I guessed three inches. (Although, I really just know two inches, so I could guess it without looking at a thumb, but I wanted to give him an example of how I would figure out a length I wasn't used it) So, I asked my husband how he knows, and he said he projects an image of a ruler next to the length he wants to measure 🤯! This is amazing to me! When I'm comparing things to guess a measurement, I don't see them in my head at all. I just know how long they are. Like, I know a cell phone is about six inches long, so anything that looks to me to be about the length of a cell phone, I'll guess six inches. I don't see an image of a cell phone in my head or project an image of it next to the thing I want to measure. I can just tell if they're about the same length, or more or less. This is honestly so crazy to me. Anyway, I asked him what his ruler looked like. If it was one of those old school wooden yellow ones 🤣, but he said it was just clear with some numbers on it.

I really have a hard time conceptualizing how that works. All I've come up with is like when Tony Stark has his Iron man suit on and there's a picture of himself up in the corner, but I'm not sure how close that is! 🤣

Thanks! I'm trying really hard to come up with things that aren't covered elsewhere that might be interesting. I appreciate the feedback!

Thank you! It's really interesting hearing other experiences.

Thanks so much! Honestly, I really love all your comments, and they definitely always give me something to think about. I always look forward to them!

wow i thought i had a busy brain! i enjoyed your comment very much.

Quiet Mind Inside Thank you so much.

Lindsay LOL! Thank you! Yes, my mind is, mostly, a very busy place.

Yeah, I need to get better at the picture taking. I'm always the one taking the pictures, so I definitely don't see as much change in myself.

I'm really terrible at drawing. It's never been something I've enjoyed, really. I took the required art classes in school and that's about it. There are aphants that are artists, though, so not all of us are as bad at art as I am 😄.

As someone with aphantasia but also a creative person and someone who did ceramics before I can tell you that that "would require you to visualize your face, appearing out of the clay" it's impossible for us. It's a mental skill you can improve if you have that skill. As someone who does not have it, there is nothing to improve. I would just look at the mirror, look at the clay, don't see absolutely anything, move the clay, look at the mirror, see if it's similar, move the clay again until I get something that's similar. I remember they did us do something similar when I was 5 and I hated the exercise as I had to look a thousand times to finally end up with an awful drawing that kind of resembled me but could had been done way better. I think thinking we can develop visualization is a mistake. We just have different tools, and it might not be better or worse than having it. We are not really lacking anything. We might be living better than the ones that can visualize.

@@lina...... The big realization for me, from this video, and all the great comments, is how big a mistake it is, to assume that all minds are essentially like our own. Every mind is a unique collection of abilities and activities, Some conscious, but many subconscious.

@@jpopelish yes! And there might be things we still don't know that will be as big as a shock as aphantasia is for everyone which is exciting too. We think we have it figured out and we just need to discover wht we could do with our minds but then no one knew this existed before and everyone though we thought the same way. Same with the personality traits (MBTI) that show we all think differently and experience life in a different way but at the same time, still the same way. Just existing as humans :D

The more I discover about what is "normal", the more I agree with you. Honestly, I really appreciate being able to just live in the present. I think I had a lot of shock and jealousy when I first discovered this, but now a lot of that jealousy is fading. Most of the time, I actually feel pretty lucky.

Interesting! Does the image of yourself age? Or is it more just style changes, like your hair? And I agree that I may have the advantage with this. At the very least, it's one less thing to worry about! 🤣

​@@quietmindinside4808 I think it ages, but I'm in my 20s so not a lot has changed, especially when you consider that there seems to be a delay. It did change as my weight did, which is a common part of the aging process. I'd been underweight my whole life, not by choice, and a medication helped me get to a healthy weight. I was thrilled, but my self-image had a delay. And when I switched to a less effective medication and lost a little weight, but not all the way back to my original weight, my self-image temporarily reverted all the way back to the original, although that was still inaccurate.

@@jayy7754 So interesting! Is this self-image delay the "norm"? When you mention reverting all the way back to the old image, it made me wonder about the difficulties of creating a new self-image. Like, maybe it takes a lot to create it, and it's easier to stay with what has always been.

Thanks! I'm glad you like them!

Thanks! It's really interesting hearing about yours as well. I can't imagine what it would be like to have all of that happening at once!

No, not at all. If I look at a bright light, I'll get that light burst behind my lids, or if I rub my closed eyelids, I can see bursts of lights, but that's all. No colors or anything either.

Wow! That's really interesting! So do you see the image of yourself all day? I'm thinking of like a video game where you have an avatar up in the corner while playing the game. You're the first one to mention using 'we' in your inner monologue. Is it like your body and your mind make up the parts? To be honest, the idea of an inner monologue sounds to me like a divide or separateness within oneself. It really doesn't make sense to me. Like, my whole entity is one, so why would there be parts to talk to each other. Does that make sense? It's a bit hard to explain. Do you feel like there is a separateness, like your mind controls your body rather than just being one thing?

@@quietmindinside4808 No, 80% of my day is just internal monologue with no images/videos. When those things come it's in a series of brief flashes. For me at least, holding a flash of a memory for longer than it wants to stick around takes mental effort. Same thing with seeing myself. I can bring up an image, but diverting the brain power to keep the image of myself there all day would mean getting nothing done. But bringing it up briefly on command is no problem. The internal monologue is hard to describe. All the voices are me, but some are there be critical, some are there to remind me to get things done, some are there to say things I can't out loud. At best it's like having an invisible partner you can talk to that looks out for you and gives advice, but at worst it can be like having your own personal critic that follows you around everywhere. There's a line from a TV show that I think describes my thinking pretty well: "I’m afraid you’re not the type of person who can keep your mind empty. There’s the part of you that’s a critic, constantly watching your own moves… and there’s another part that’s an observer watching the critic - watching you."

@@WillfulVisions I didn't realize that the imagery could take so much effort. That's really interesting. Honestly, that last line is really creepy to me 😄. I can't imagine having that in my head.

@@quietmindinside4808 It's the same kind of dialogue I imagine you might do when you talk through something out loud with someone. It's like: "We should get pizza tonight" "I don't know it's pretty expensive" "But the food we have here sucks" "Didn't you just have pizza last week? You'll get fat" "C'mon we're fine. We'll do an extra workout this week. It'll be great." "Slow down, lets at least let me run some numbers first. How many meals do we get out of a pizza? What does that cost compared to other options like getting take-out?" It's just that instead of needing someone else to bounce things off of to figure it out, you make your own. It's sort of like imaging you're talking to more responsible people, and seeing if you can make an argument that's logically sound enough. And if you can, then it's okay to proceed with your choice / get pizza. Because now there's a logic behind it that you could explain if challenged. It's a method of working through things

@@WillfulVisions Wow! It's so different for me. I debate choices, but it's all a silent process, and I just know mu decision. Sometimes I'll second-guess myself and change it later, but I can't imagine talking to myself about it. It's probably all happening the same way in my mind, but I'm just not hearing it for whatever reason. Really interesting.

I have such a hard time looking at myself in video chat, too! I was just wondering if this is somehow related. I did an interview on another channel over Skype, and when I watched it, I noticed that he looked very comfortable just looking at his screen, and my eyes are all over the place! So interesting that you mention that. Self-deprecating comments always strike me as unusual, too. It's not something that I've really done, either.

That's so great to hear! I'm really glad you find these helpful! I'm constantly examining myself now wondering if what I'm doing is just my personality or the Aphantasia, but perhaps it's all so linked it's hard to tell 😄. But I think it's so cool when I find out there are things we share!

Yeah, my husband is always reminding me that people don't have 4k video running in their heads all day 🤣. I think it's harder to conceptualize because I just have no real basis of comparison, so I'm sure I'm blowing it a bit out of proportion at times.

I could draw an apple since it's a rather simple shape and I've seen them all my life, but it wouldn't be super impressive looking. Basically, I draw about as well as my five-year-old 🤣

Oh cool. I heard of the show, but never watched it. Man, all of that sounds so exhausting, though! I really can't imagine having that going on my head an not being able to turn it off.

@@quietmindinside4808 I found a clip. It's super R rated (so listen to without kids). But this is what it's like for someone with poor self image. This is also a good example of what the inner voice is like (although not so aggresive for those of us with a more positive disposition), and even what it's like to conjure up visual scenarios in our head. Like I said, I know it's kinda R rated, but it's a really good example. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3P4_E3GhUv8.html

@@quietmindinside4808 and yes! It can be super exhausting. I don't know if you've read books or heard a song where they said something along the lines of, "I can't run from myself" or "I can't escape the thoughts in my head." The inner voice is what they're talking about. But as much as it can be annoying, it can also help us make good decisions, tally pros and cons, think up something creative, formualte a plan of action, dream, etc. It's apart of us and reflects who we each are as individuals. I still think your way of thinking is pretty awesome too! We're all unique.

@@bdavisreyes Thanks! I'll check it out tonight after the kids go to sleep 😁

@@bdavisreyes Yeah, I've heard stuff like that, but I guess I never really paid attention to it. Like, to me it was all hyperbole. I didn't realize it was so literal. Someone mentioned another one to me the other day, "It's so loud I can't hear myself think." I always thought it was an expression to describe it just being too loud, like 'It's raining cats and dogs', not literally people couldn't think because they couldn't hear their inner voice 🤯. So crazy how much I've missed or explained away.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense that it would be the same you in your dreams. Honestly, I don't know even know if I'm even in my own dreams. Don't see myself there either 🤣.

That's really cool!

@@quietmindinside4808 lol I think it's rude 😄 but it amuses my inner self, so I do it anyway. Weird question, what do YOU do when a conversation is becoming boring? How do you pass time without having to leave or seem uninterested?

@@EloquentlyEse Honestly, I'm just pretty stuck 🤣. I've been forced to listen to a lot of crazy conspiracy theories over the years! Actually, I do wonder now if people think I'm a bit short or rude because I do try to get out of boring conversations or conversations that don't seem important to me rather than letting them drag on. My husband has actually commented before on the fact that when I plan a meetup with people, I just tell them where I think we should go rather than asking everyone's opinions. I told him that if I don't give a location, then everyone will have a different idea, and we'll have to discuss the pros and cons of each, and in the end, everyone will just say "I don't care, where do you want to go" anyway. And then I'll have to wait through all that and most likely have to pick something anyway. So, why not just pick the place I want to start? 🤣

@@quietmindinside4808 wow, that's rough. 😄 I just asked my sister and she said she starts imagining other "better" convos, or what she wants to eat later. I actually notice when most people start zoning out when I'm boring them 🤔 I do it so often, it's easy to catch in others. I think I do a better job at feigning interest (when I must) than most, if I do say so myself! 🤣 I guess my method helps cause I still have look at them and focus to perform a good transformation 🤷🏾‍♀️

@@EloquentlyEse I swear I'm going to end up with a complex after finding out all the stuff. Spend all my time wondering what people are actually thinking about when I'm talking to them!

I actually dyed my hair for the first time this year. Only took 40 years to build up the courage 🤣.

I've talked a bit with my husband about this idea of "false memories", and he's said that he knows that he often "fills in" missing data in his visuals to make the pictures complete. It actually seems quite odd to me to have a memory that you know is false. Honestly, I don't think this is something I can have. I either have a memory or I don't. I can't really adjust my memories. So, for example, when I think about a time we went to the beach during our last vacation, I can remember that we were on the beach, I can remember that the water was too cold to swim in, I can remember that we saw a real, live starfish wash up on the beach, but I can't remember what color the starfish was, or how many legs it had. I can't remember if I had a bathing suit on or my normal clothes. The way my husband describes his memories, it seems more like he would "fill in" the starfish and what everyone was wearing, even if he didn't actually remember the real things, but I can't. There's just nothing there. With pictures, I guess it depends. Remembering people is not too hard for me, sometimes I'll forget names, but I can usually pinpoint why we knew each other (like, this was the guy in my math class, etc.). If it's a picture from something important, I'll usually remember, but if it's just a random shot like hanging out somewhere, I probably wouldn't remember much about it. I'm not sure if that's too unusual, though. My earliest memories are about from 4 to 5 years old. Just little things, like things we did at daycare or driving with my parents. Those memories feel the same to me in intensity as what I did yesterday. My husband has told me that old memories that he thinks about often are much stronger than random things he brings up that he hasn't thought of in a while, which seems really strange to me, too. All my memories always feel exactly the same 🤷‍♀️. I wonder if this is an indication that I'm storing things as just semantic memories rather than episodic. That's what I suspect anyway. For memorizing numbers, I'm ok with phone numbers, but I doubt I'd be good with anything much more than that. Generally, when I need to memorize something like that, I just have to say it over and over until it's burned in my brain 🤣. When I repeat it back later, I think of the entire thing as one concept, so if you asked me "What's the number after 4?" I would have no idea, and would just have to repeat back the whole thing to get it. Not sure if that's usual or not, either. For solving problems, I guess it's just all happening unconsciously. I don't really debate with myself that way internally. Sometimes, I'll work things out "out loud", but usually only if it involves someone else or I'm bored and feel like talking to myself 🤣. I've actually read a study that said that the internal debate people do is just a way to consciously work out a decision your unconscious mind has already picked. So I guess at the heart of it, I'm doing it the same way at the beginning, I just don't translate the process to my conscious mind afterwards. When presented with a choice, like picking a meal at a restaurant, I'm definitely processing the information in my head, it's not a surprise to me what I pick and I'm not just choosing something randomly, but my thought process is just all silent or unconscious. I could tell you why I picked the thing I did if you asked, but I don't tell myself why in my head. I have been wondering if perhaps my multitasking skills are not as good as the average person's, though. I'm not sure how I would go about testing that. I definitely feel like I get kind of hyper-focused on things, and I really need to get them done before I can concentrate on something new. I'm not sure how much of that relates to my aphantasia and how much is just my personality. The empathy question is one I think about a lot. When I read or hear about a situation another person is in, I can definitely understand it and feel bad for them, but I don't really put myself in their place. So perhaps my empathy is a bit different. I confess that in the past I would get a bit annoyed when people would get hung up on something and bring it up over and over again. I would wonder why they wouldn't just let it go because they'd already kind of talked it to death. But now I think I understand why that happens better, so I'm trying hard to be more sympathetic for things like that. I've never really thought of myself doing anything in the future, to be honest. Sometimes I may look in the mirror and think "oh, yeah, gotta get off these last five pounds", but as soon as I leave the mirror, I pretty much forget about it. I don't think I've ever had a long-term plan. I was always in awe of people who had a map for the future that they followed, but I could never do that. I figured it was just my personality, but now I think my aphantasia definitely has something to do with that. I'm not sure about the designer and architect thing, though. I know there are a lot of artists with aphantasia, so it could be possible. I believe in Zeman's last study he found aphants were more likely to go into STEM fields, though.

I was thinking this, too. When I look at clothes in a store, I have absolutely no idea what they'll look like on me, so maybe I just go with what's comfortable. Also, when I try something different on, I always think it looks weird on me. I wonder if I it's harder for me to handle myself looking different subconsciously because I can't adjust an image of myself in my head.

I'll put it on my list! Sounds interesting. As for good and bad, I just know it. It's just ingrained in my personality from my childhood I guess. I've never had the urge to do anything really bad. I actually feel a lot of guilt if I do anything even remotely not nice, so it's really hard for me to do anything that could potentially bother someone.

@@quietmindinside4808 Thank you. :)

I have aphantasia and if we close our eyes and try to imagine an apple, we don’t “see” anything, just black. However, we do know that an apple is often red, round, etc, only the facts, but can’t imagine and visualise it. I could with no problem tell a state by its shape if knew them (I’m not from the U.S), but for exemple if you asked me to draw the shape of the U.S, my drawing would be less detailed, since I guess you have a picture in your head of what it looks like, but I only know the facts of the shape of the country( for exemple, I know at the top there is a relatively straight line, then to the right it goes down and there’s Florida….). I don’t really have difficulty with memorizing visual stuff, because it can always be taken down to facts, and I have been doing this for my entire life. I tried my best to make this understandable, but I know this might be confusing, and it’s still very confusing to me, but yeah our brains can be weird sometimes 🤷‍♂️ If you have more questions I’ll be happy to answer them!

Thanks for such a detailed reply. There's a lot in there that is really helpful. The fact that a person's self-image stops aging is really fascinating. I still see my flaws (unfortunately not immune to that), like I might think I look fat or I have a zit or something, but as soon as I'm not looking at it, I pretty much forget about it. Unless someone points it out or I see another mirror anyway. I really can't imagine what it would be like to think about my appearance without a mirror. Really all of this is just blowing my mind. And I'm sure your nose is wonderful! 👍

Thanks so much! It's so fascinating to hear about everyone else's experiences, too!

Well, you edited your comment while I was composing mine. I hope that my insight was helpful. 😔 Sorry that I sounded grumpy, but it's only 5:30 a.m. here & the notification woke me. 🙂 I'll have to figure out how to shut them off. :-)

@@bethlija6285 Oh, my gosh! So sorry! I'm in Taiwan, so the time change is a bit rough! Yeah, I found your comment really interesting. Sorry, my kids likely interrupted me while I was writing my reply. It seems they always desperately need something the minute I pick up my phone 😄. Honestly, it's so outside my realm of understanding that I really can't wrap my head around what it's like to have an image of myself in my head and having it be such an important part of who I was. I have so many questions, but it's honestly really hard to put them into the right words. I find it so interesting that you can even remember what you looked like as a child and bring it up at will. I recognize myself in my childhood pictures, but when I think of a memory of my childhood, I'm not actually in it. It sounds really weird when I type it. I just know that I was there and that's it. So weird. I can't imagine what it would be like to look in a mirror and see myself at different ages 🤔. I feel like if I magically gained the ability to visualize, I would never leave the house! I'd just be running thorough my memories all day.

Very cool! It's so interesting hearing about this.

That's really amazing. So if you don't look like your idealized image, does it affect your day? Like, does it put you in a bad mood, or can you just kind of forget it?

@@quietmindinside4808 Sometimes, but not usually. I think it would be nice to look more like the idealized version, but there's always gonna be something else I want to change. So I don't think dedicating that much energy to endlessly chasing a perfect ideal is the best use of my time.

Matrix scene: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AGZiLMGdCE0.html

Interesting! So it seems kind of like the opposite for me. I'm never surprised because I assume I always look the same. I really need to watch the Matrix again. I wonder if it will feel different to me now.