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Mayukh Saha
Mayukh Saha
October 3, 2023 ·  2 min read

Optical illusion reveals if you are too self-critical

An optical illusion is no more than an illusion, a trick played by our visual sensory organs. However, sometimes, even an illusion can provide significant information about ourselves. If you have like optical illusions that also double as personality tests, then TikTok has a bunch of creators who specialize in them. Mia Yillin (@mia_yillin) is one of the better known. Recently, she shared one where you can get a hint about how self-critical you are.

Yillin’s post on TikTok containing the illusion and explanation garnered more than 972,000 views. The illusion, in question, contains two very distinct images. However, according to Yillin, depending on your personality, you will notice only one of them at first. Take a look at the image:

Self-critical optical illusion
Image Credits: TikTok | @mia_yillin

How Self-Critical Are You?

So, which image did you see first? The two objects in the picture are a black crow perched on top of a rock. The other one is the face of a man formed by smaller rocks that are stacked on top of one another beneath the crow. According to Mia, these are the explanations for the image you saw first:

The Crow: You have a reputation for being judgmental. However, even if it seems like a criticism at first glance, Mia explains that it is not necessarily something bad. She says that you find yourself holding strong opinions about others almost unintentionally. However, your intuition is also notably strong. As such, most of the time your suspicions and assumptions are proven as the truth.

The Face: If you saw the face first, then you are too self-critical. According to Mia, being self-critical is a defense mechanism for you. This is because you have a deep fear of being disliked or rejected by people around you. So, subconsciously, you preempt this rejection by being extremely self-critical and self-demeaning right from the get-go. Mia kindly added some words of advice for those who say the face. She told them to avoid letting the self-critical and self-sabotaging thoughts be an obstacle to becoming the type of person they want to be.

The Internet’s Reaction

Mia’s accuracy is well-known on the platform, and this optical illusion was no different. Viewers and followers rushed to let the creator know about her shocking accuracy in the comments section. One person exclaimed how accurate the explanation of the crow is.

Comment on tiktok
Image Credits: TikTok | @mia_yillin

However, there are exceptions as always, like this one:

Comment on tiktok
Image Credits: TikTok | @mia_yillin
https://www.tiktok.com/@mia_yilin/video/7207211419845086466?referer_url=www.dailymail.co.uk%2Ffemail%2Farticle-12153077%2FOptical-illusion-tell-youre-judgmental-person-depending-see.html&refer=embed&embed_source=121355059%2C121351166%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_share&referer_video_id=7207211419845086466

So, which one did you see first? Let us know in the comments below! Also, here are some more illusions-cum-tests that you may enjoy:

H/t Daily Mail