So, I learned something really interesting.

Why do I hate how I look in photos, but, when I look in a mirror, I still don't really like how I look, but...the image somehow seems better?

Answer: The person in the mirror isn't you.

Let me explain. A mirror flips whatever it is that it's reflecting. So, if you raise your right hand while looking in a mirror, it looks like the mirrored you is raising their left hand. Also, this means that the right side of your face appears to be the left, and vice versa. Everyone else sees you as you are, and so does a camera, but you don't. You see the flipped version. This makes a much bigger difference if you have a mole, birth mark, or other special trait that's only on one side of your face or body. Same thing goes with side-parted hair or crooked/chipped teeth.

But why is this? Why do we like an incorrect image of ourselves? There's a theory that we, as humans, grow accustomed to the way something is or how it looks over time, and that causes us to like it and become familiar with it. When seeing the same thing, but in a different way, we don't like it, because it's not familiar. (Like, if you see the same picture of an adorable puppy every day for weeks, and then see the same picture of the same puppy flipped. You will usually automatically prefer the one that you have seen for the longest time.) The same thing goes with how we look. We usually see ourselves in the mirror more often than we see pictures of ourselves. (Which, on a side note, I just realized, might be why mirror selfies are so crazily popular among teenage girls. O_O) This is also true with your friends and family--they see you how you are, so they prefer how you look when you haven't been mirrored.

So, the next time someone takes a picture of you and you don't like it, but everyone else does, don't assume they're just trying to be nice. They see you differently than you see yourself...literally.

But, while I'm on the topic of self-image...we also have to keep in mind several things.

1) Having a more symmetrical face and body can make the mirrored effect less noticeable. Also, seeing yourself in photos a lot balances out the effect.
2) While having a more symmetrical face and body is usually considered more attractive, no one is perfect, and NOT having facial symmetry does NOT mean that you're ugly. In many cases, it makes a person look more interesting and unique if they DON'T have that symmetry. (Like a mole, or a birth mark, or a crooked smile, or a snaggletooth.)
3) People often automatically look at a person's right eye when they make eye contact. (Which means, you look to the left, at THEIR right eye. Not everyone does this, obviously, but, in general, that's what humans do.) The right side of the face often displays emotion better than the left, thus effecting the mirrored effect. (So, another reason why you might not like how you look in a photo because your expressions are positioned differently.) (Then again, not EVERYONE on earth displays emotion more clearly on the right side of their faces. Again, this is true in general.)
4) The media is full of lies. ._. Almost every single photo in a magazine has been altered somehow. Even photos and magazine pictures of already attractive people are often altered, and a lot of these people have cosmetic surgery done because they want to look better. This creates a false sense of perfection that we compare ourselves to both consciously and subconsciously. A lot of what you see in the media isn't physically possible anyway, since, again, no one is perfect, and no one is the KIND of perfect that these altered images convey. That kind of perfect doesn't exist in the real world.

The whole mirror thing gave me a little bit of a really small-scale identity crisis. I have several moles on my face that arch up into this weird crescent moon thing, but they're only on ONE side of my face (the left side) so I'm constantly confused as to which side they're on. Sometimes someone will ask me about them (ie, yesterday my brother, his friend, and I were jokingly making fun of each other and my moles came into conversation) and I had to feel my face to remember which side they're on. OTL

There's this theory that if you saw yourself in real life, you might not recognize yourself, because you've only ever seen yourself move and live in mirror reflections and cameras, which only capture less than a millisecond of time. :P
There's a theory that we, as humans, grow accustomed to the way something is or how it looks over time, and that causes us to like it and become familiar with it. When seeing the same thing, but in a different way, we don't like it, because it's not familiar.
That's also really valid for artists and digital artists. *cries manly tears* Drawing something, you grow accustomed to looking at it, so it begins to look better and better the longer you look at it. Then, you flip it, and the delusion of good art is shattered, and may or may not result in the artist having a mental breakdown in the corner of the room. 8'D The same thing happens if you leave an art for a long time, and then come back to it about a month later. All the flaws come back and are glaringly obvious, and an existential crisis may occur in most artists. 8'I So... that's my two cents on the mirror/flipped image thing.

In many cases, it makes a person look more interesting and unique if they DON'T have that symmetry. (Like a mole, or a birth mark, or a crooked smile, or a snaggletooth.)
I have the worst crooked smile ever. OTL Like everything else asymetrical about me, it's also on the left side of my face, and to add to it all I have front teeth that resemble Bugs Bunny's and dimples big enough to store food in. Well. Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit, but still... ._.
4) The media is full of lies. ._. Almost every single photo in a magazine has been altered somehow. Even photos and magazine pictures of already attractive people are often altered, and a lot of these people have cosmetic surgery done because they want to look better. This creates a false sense of perfection that we compare ourselves to both consciously and subconsciously.
True that. B-I

INCREDIBLE. I WAS ONE SENTENCE AWAY FROM FINISHING A HUGE RANT AND THEN I ACCIDENTALLY CLOSED THE WRONG TAB.
//screaming and gunshots in the distance//

http://24.media.tumblr.com/c7d14d052...12zbo2_500.gif

I know how dat feel, bro. *bear hug*

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf...e5g2o1_500.gif

i hope that picture shows up
 

Current emotion:
http://25.media.tumblr.com/f904006de...hlhko1_500.jpg

That is a much different way of looking at things...

I love this post... thank you so much for making it. :D

why am i even alive i don't understand

i've also heard that liking how you look in the mirror more than how you look in pictures is because with mirrors your expression can shift so like idk i guess it seems more natural??

idek but hey i'm really glad you are c:

with mirrors you always pose just a little bit too; you can't help it. you know what makes you look good when you're in a mirror and at the first glance you'll inadvertently straighten yourself a little and widen your eyes and all that shit.

thanks (:

http://www.kidpub.com/story/first-letter-895141179

Sometimes I need to vent positive emotions, too.

You are very welcome. :D Glad I could catch your attention. I hope it helped.

Yes, it is. ^_^ VERY different.

You are alive because someone was kind enough to give you the gift of life. Just because things seem terrible sometimes does NOT mean that this person WANTS you to be sad or depressed, and he doesn't cause ANY of your suffering. In fact, this person longs to remove suffering and see that you enjoy being alive.

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? You can click right over here to read the answer. ^_^

Regardless of what you believe, though, Heather...we are ALL glad that you are alive, and sincerely hope you stay that way for a long, looooong time. :3 *hugs*

Maybe you won't be an uber popular author, but there's still plenty of awesome stuff you can do with your life. I'm not experienced in this field lol bUT from what i've heard, surviving off writing books alone is really really difficult, yeah. but you can still publish stuff while working at a different job you enjoy c:
NOPE STOP RIGHT THERE. Someday, you will be who you want to be. Just keep trying and someday you'll get there. *coughs* *spits out a large wheel of cheese* also you already are good enough sooooo. so what if you don't meet your family's standards?? they're assholes, they don't deserve to know you.
*hugs*

OH MY GOSH
THIS IS FINALLY ACTUALLY HAPPENING

THE GIVER
AS A MOVIEEEEEE

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435651/

IT'S BEEN IN HOLLYWOOD LIMBO FOR YEEEAAARRRRSSSS
NOW WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE AND A CAST LISTING AND EVERYTHINNNNGGG

they better not mess this up.
*looks at cast listing* *sees that Jonas is nowhere near 12* ._______. Oh, Hollywood... *sighs in dejection* *shakes head*

True that.... well, my goal is to at least have people read them xD
Nope. I never will. And that's probabllyyyy a good thing.... I think..... well, not for me but oh well.....
*huggles* Danke for the advice. It means a lot to me ;~;
I can't even begin to explain how amazing all of you kidpubbers are. I just can't. Oh my gosh. in the next day or so I'm going to post a rant on here saying how amazing all of you are. Okay? I just. Sudden realization today. Thank you everybody for being amazing.
That may seem random and so is my trail of thought..... but I don't even care.

A girl my age who lives in my area committed suicide yesterday. I don't think she went to my school, and I didn't know her personally, but scrolling through her Facebook page, a few people I know did. At this point, I'm kind of shocked at how fragile life can be...I can only imagine what those who were close to her must be going through. :/

I'm sorry :c That just happened in my town too. It's horrible to think that really happens. It just kind of strikes you as 'it's really happening', and it's not just something you read. At some point when you read it, you know it happens but, when it happens fairly close to you and you see the reactions of the people who knew them it just brings it to a whole new level of reality. RIP.

Yeah, that pretty much describes it... :/

I'm so sorry, Maggie. ;__;

Yes, unfortunately, suicide effects the people who knew the one who died just as much as it effects the person who died--if not more. That kind of an emotional wound sticks around for years--especially for the parents and the closest friends. It may even drive someone else to commit suicide.

Have you ever thought about what happens when we die? Death is really just like sleep...no consciousness, no pain, no fear, no joy. Nothing. It may seem like a release, though, but it isn't. It's almost the opposite--it's nothing. You don't know that you're dead, that your troubles are over. You don't think or feel. But there IS hope for the dead, you know...

Yeah...I could only imagine what it would be like for me if one of my friends or close family members died, especially if I could have helped them out. :/

That is probably the most truthful statement about death I've ever heard made. In the end, I think it always entails some sort of release from some sort of pain...I mean, we all have to die someday, when the time's right and we've lived our lives to the fullest, know what I'm saying? Meh, that made no sense. x_x

A lot of people blame themselves, even if they didn't know the person very well...thoughts of "Why didn't I notice they were having trouble?" and "Could I have helped?" plague people for years afterwards.

No, no, I know what you mean. <:^) A lot of people feel that way. But, did you know that that's not what was originally intended for us? We're not SUPPOSED to die. Why do you think no one wants to die unless they're in extreme pain? Think about God for a moment...why would he create something just to let it be destroyed? Why do tress and tortoises live longer than humans? Why would he want them to live longer than us? He never wanted us to die at all.

i never wanted anything to end this way
where did it go wrong
why can't it be perfect
it's always been things that happen to other people
not me
never me
and after what happened last time
i was so stupid to even think it could last
i never wanted this to end this way
but it's all my fault.

Oh my gosh, Soph, what's wrong?! D: *glomps*

So, I'm having a huge issue with this all-or-nothing feeling. x___x This is mainly fueled by the fact that I've been having an extremely hard time concentrating/focusing on something for more than a few minutes at a time. That and the fact that I seem to be developing this weird inability to accept anything as an accomplishment, big OR small. Also I suddenly don't feel qualified to do anything anymore and I'm terrified that I'll screw everything up.

Need to do laundry? Well, I don't feel like doing all of it, so, I won't do any of it. Plus I'd probably just accidentally bleach something and ruin it.
Need to clean the kitchen? Well, I have the energy to do the dishes and clean the counters but I don't feel like sweeping and I don't have TIME for that anyway so I won't do any of it.
Read a book? No, I have to comment on as many chapters as possible, and I only can muster up the focus for one comment, not three or four. Also the comment must be perfect, which is impossible.
Need to write? Noooo, I need to finish all of Book One NOW so I can publish NOW but I don't have time or energy to do that so I'm not going to write any of it. It must be perfect and I'll just mess it up anyway.
There are a few minor chores I need to do before I can relax? I don't have the right to relax if stuff needs to be done so I'm just not going to do anything. Plus I broke something that one time and I'll probably do it again.

Also mood swings. x___x One second I'm convincing someone that I'm doing fine, and the next, I'm wallowing in a pit of depression.

laksdj flkasjdf l;kajs df;lajd sf;lkajsdf ;kljsfd
YESSSSSSSSSSSS :D :D :D
*goes to tell my sister.... she loves that book even more than i do :O *

stop killing elephants.
stop poisoning their water,
stop shooting them from the air,
stop hitting them with trains,

just
stop.

..... or because my parents had sex, and though they may not want me to be sad or depressed, they're the main contributors to my everlasting and now apparently (according to my therapist) chronic depression. yaaaaayy!!! funn!!!! mood swings and wanting to kill myself and getting irrationally angry for no good reason!!!!! wasting my life on the internet bc i live on distractions and cant face my own sorry reality!!!!!

ick, i'm sorry. i don't mean to sound ungrateful- honestly- it's just that life is getting to be a bit much for me these days.
personally, i think that the meaning of life is not one universal thing. there are so many different people who lead different lives and trying to say that there's just one big meaning that's relevant to everyone kind of eludes me completely. i guess the meaning of life is to find the meaning of life, or, what life means to you. find stuff to keep yourself living and alive and at least somewhat happy.

thank you for caring about me. just don't care too much.

Mondai darake no pawafuru na sekai ni
Chotto akogareteta
Tomatta jikan ugoki hajime tanda
Kimi ni deatte kara

Doushite umarete ikiteru no ka
Muzukashii kotae wa iranai yo

Warou nakou sunao de ii
Shinpuru na kimochi ichiban daiji
Kanashii yoru ni nagasu namida
Tsuyosa ni kaeru--

That's all I have to say.

That's kinda me.

WHY ARE 97% OF THE GUESTS LOOKING AT THE FORUM GAME RIGHT NOW?

GOOD GOSH! THERE ARE DOZENS OF THEM, ALL AT ONCE!!! *sputters*

On a semi different topic-- am I the only one that noticed that guests always find these really old threads and all these dead threads? How do they find this stuff? XD

Guests *o* TELL US YOUR SECRETS!

Yes! Guests! Scurry on over here and tell us your secrets!

Found this post on Tumblr...

I’m a lesbian so i must have a crush on every girl i see.

I have alot of guy friends so i must be fucking every single one of them.

I smile alot, so i must have the perfect life.

I listen to reggae, so I must be a stoner.

My opinion matters, so I must be a bitch.

I’m comfortable with my body, so I get around?

I’m friends with a lot of guys, so I’ve must have hooked up with all of them.

I like to help out, so I must be a suck up.

I’m black, so I must be ghetto.

I’m black, so I must be stupid.

I’m Mexican, so I must be low class.

I’m bisexual, so I must get around.

I’m straight up blunt, so I must be a bitch.

I like to drink, so I must be an alcoholic.

I don’t hang out with guys, so I must be a lesbian.

I cut myself so I must be emo.

I’m bisexual, so none of my girl friends can feel safe.

I laugh and smile, so I cannot be depressed.

I like spending my day at home, so I don’t have any friends

I am gay, so i must be bullied

Most of my friends are dudes, so I must be a tomboy.

I’m on Tumblr, so I must have zero friends in real life

I’m a Muslim, so I must be a terrorist

I make alot of mistakes so I must be stupid/retarded.

I strongly defend LGBT so I must be gay.

I’m from a broken family, so I must be a rebel.

I like rasta colors, so I must smoke weed.

I’ve had sex, so I must be a slut.

I’ve made mistakes, so I must be untrustworthy.

I really love him, so I must hold on.

I’m a Filipino, so I must be a maid.

I really love him, so I must be taken for granted.

I’m a Politician, so I must be corrupt.

I’m Blonde, so I must be really stupid.

I’m wearing a black shirt, so I must be emo.

I wear make up, so I must be a flirt.

I make alot of mistakes, so I must be hated.

I am a teenager, so I must be misunderstood.

------------------------------------------------

I am freakin tired of stereotyping.
Just a couple I would like to add here:

I don't talk much, so I must be rude.

I like to read and write, so I must be boring.

I'm nice to people, so I must be a suck-up.

I don't like gym class, so I must be lazy.

GAHIHATESTEREOTYPINGOMERUVIMEIOGFDUN

I don't really want to be here...on earth I mean. I go to school, sit through torture for 7 hours and then come home and cry by myself in my room all night. I thought my depression was gone, at least it was for a little while. It was finally solved, I was finally happy and now the rocks are crumbling again. My guinea pig died yesterday I had her for 6 years and I really unbelievably miss her. Most people think oh, it was just a guinea pig, but any pet owner knows different. She was healthy and chirping in the morning then I came home and she was cold and stiff in her cage. I still can't believe it. I'm just so sad now. I'm not writing anymore I don't even know why I came on here for the first time in months...maybe to talk idk. If you've managed to read this whole thing, thank you. I just needed to tell someone. :/

<:^c

*pats you on the back* You don't know how much I understand how you feel. School was absolute torture for me, too, and I can't even IMAGINE the intense pain I'd feel if one of my current pets died. I'm so sorry, Timber. I'm just barely starting my battle with chronic depression, so I know what you mean when you say the "rocks are crumbling again." I know we don't know each other, but I feel your pain, and I'm terribly sorry.

Writing can help you get through the stress. Just jotting down a short story or a few ideas is a good distraction. <:^) Maybe try that? And, the last time one of my pets died, I wrote it a goodbye letter, just to get my feelings out and deal with them. Also...don't be afraid to cry it out. You'll feel better afterwards.

I really hope things get better for you, Timber.