[beloiseau]

Does anyone else ever get the feeling that you don't look the way you think you look? I see pictures of myself, but I don't see myself that way at all. I feel like I look a certain way and I can't picture how I look or move to other people. I also don't agree with other people's opinions of my looks, but that's self-esteem related I think. Just curious if anyone else has this experience.

[dumburn]

I have trouble picturing what I look like, The basics are there - tall and skinny. But I cant get a hold on the finer details like eyes colour or the size and shape of features. It doesn't help that I see a slightly diferent picture every time I look in the mirror

[beloiseau]

Originally Posted by dumburn

I have trouble picturing what I look like, The basics are there - tall and skinny. But I cant get a hold on the finer details like eyes colour or the size and shape of features. It doesn't help that I see a slightly diferent picture every time I look in the mirror

Yeah, I have a basic picture but I can't tell how I move or how my face looks to other people. If I catch myself off guard in a mirror it's like, is that me? I just feel like I look weird, like I'm completely a turn-off to look at.

[Webgoji]

Actually, I have to say I think I match up pretty well with what people have told me and or how they react to me. I can go several days without even looking in mirror and when I do, I only look for razor stubble that needs shaved or whatnot and the image has just gotten older over the years.

So yeah, I don't see myself being attractive or "a hottie" and that's pretty much how everyone else sees me too.

[Rise]

I can totally relate to this!!

I will be doing fine and then I see myself in a mirror and it really catches me off guard. I will shut down because the person I felt like I was will suddenly seem like some weird persona that doesn't align with my image, and I'm just not sure how I should be behaving anymore.

I suspect it may be to do with the fact that my self image hasn't changed since I was much younger; possibly because since then I have not really been that happy, so I keep my old self image out of preference. When I see myself in the mirror it 'looks wrong' because it's simply not the persona I'm expecting to see. That's just a guess though.

[splitimage]

I often see myself in the mirror and don't recognize myself, or I'll see my reflection in the subway window and think - who is that old hag? I have some esteem issues obviously. I do think I look more like I feel when I go to the trouble of putting makeup on, and trying to look nice.

I hate my drivers licence and health card photos, as they were both taken when I was in a really bad place emotionally, and you're not allowed to smile in them, so I think I basically look like a corpse.

Clearly I have some self image issues.

spltimage

[winter4me]

I am best if I avoid mirrors, most photos (of course the old ones look better now than they did then...?) ---am with splitimage without the ability to do make up...but there are times (rarer now) when I feel good by dressing "up" or just in something that feels, and I think looks, good. Funny thing, long ago now, I remember being surprised when I saw a video I was in (I was a co-group leader ) and found I did not mind watching myself work---it seemed odd, because I usually dislike my voice when I hear it also...but myself in motion, not thinking about myself, just doing my job was surprisingly ok. We used the video to critique and discuss what happened etc...

[Rise]

Originally Posted by winter4me

of course the old ones look better now than they did then...?

This is so the truth! I wonder why that is? I have always noticed this phenomenon and been intrigued by it.

Perhaps it is to with the photo going outside the range of our current self image so our hang ups don't apply anymore. That would imply that it is possible for us to like a photo as much now as we will do in time and that other people who see the picture will see it's good side right from the start. I find that quite comforting.

Now I think about it, that phenomenon is a pretty good indication that we are being hard on ourselves with our self image - that our self image is not in alignment with how we actually look. That might seem obvious but still an important thing to remember, and I would imagine applies to the majority of the population at least to some extent.

[hannabee]

I hate looking older so I don't look in the mirror much. I dofeel better with makeup on and that is kinda sad really. Men do not wear it why do we have to wear it to feel better about ourselves? I just try not to think about it

[-jimi-]

I just don't get why I look so different from time to time. Is it in my head or do I have different looks different days? Some days I look old and horrid, some days I look really cool. For some reason I always look worst in the car mirror, maybe it is a bad mirror? LOL.

[Rise]

Originally Posted by jimi...

I just don't get why I look so different from time to time. Is it in my head or do I have different looks different days? Some days I look old and horrid, some days I look really cool.

I am puzzled by this too. It's bizarre.

[beloiseau]

Originally Posted by Rise

I can totally relate to this!!

I will be doing fine and then I see myself in a mirror and it really catches me off guard. I will shut down because the person I felt like I was will suddenly seem like some weird persona that doesn't align with my image, and I'm just not sure how I should be behaving anymore.

I suspect it may be to do with the fact that my self image hasn't changed since I was much younger; possibly because since then I have not really been that happy, so I keep my old self image out of preference. When I see myself in the mirror it 'looks wrong' because it's simply not the persona I'm expecting to see. That's just a guess though.

Agreed! That's what happens to me... I'll be feeling confident or attractive, then I get caught off guard when I actually see myself.

[tealBumblebee]

I can somewhat relate. I don't often look in the mirror, and when I do look in the mirror its usually at something specific (my eyes, skin, etc.) and I focus intently on it. It makes me look vain, but I'm actually only focused on that one thing - not my beauty as a whole.

Every so often, i'll look at myself as a "whole" in the mirror and I don't feel like it's real. I feel like i'm inside of a shell. And i'll find myself making faces and movements trying to "outwit" my reflection. Sometimes I feel so "put inside of a body" that I touch my face to try to match feeling senses with my visual senses.

Never usually works though, and I tend to just shrug it off. Thanks for bringing this up!