still don't get it: when i blink my left eye, mirror me blinks his left eye.
maybe this question would make sense, if i would see myself as the center of the universe, all creation and all there is - but there is a pretty high chance that i ain't. (and even then i'm not sure if this question would make sense)
The question itself stems from confusion about what's being seen. It's not uncommon, especially with children, for people to become slightly confused while using a mirror. For instance, on seeing some smudge on their left cheek trying to wipe it from their right cheek. Once they start moving of course the error becomes obvious. Their initial understanding of the image is really what the image would be if you had a camera facing you and then used a video display as your mirror.
I have this problem all the time! I even shave by touch and then check in the mirror whether I've missed a spot rather than shave while looking in the mirror because I can't avoid being confused about this. I can, while looking at the mirror, reason about which way I need to move my hand to get at a certain spot on my face's reflection, but it's much faster to stop looking at the mirror and let (correct) instincts kick in.
I had my tongue pierced a few years back and even now (not that I do it very often), when looking in a mirror to put the ball back on the 'stick' (I don't know what it's called!) I drive myself nuts.
In one hand I'm trying to hold/'point' the 'stick' and in the other hand, not only am I trying to get the ball to the end of the stick, but at the same time trying to rotate it so that the hole in the ball lines up with the end of the stick. Everything points, moves and rolls totally against what I think it should be doing.
I, like you, find it easier to just do away with the mirror and try and work it out myself.
Having said that, this whole conversation has made me really think about the mirror and so I'm hoping that next time, it won't be so hard!
If there was a person standing in front of you instead of a mirror reflection, he would be blinking his right eye when you blinked your left eye. That's where the confusion comes from - you are thinking of the mirror man's blinking eye as "left" from your perspective whereas everyone else (and the original question) refers to it as the right eye from the perspective of the man in the mirror.
ok, now i get it. still it bothers me why anyone would think that a mirror switches left/right when everybody who looks into a mirror can clearly see that this is not the case. i never thought of myself as an empericist, but it seems i am.
maybe this question would make sense, if i would see myself as the center of the universe, all creation and all there is - but there is a pretty high chance that i ain't. (and even then i'm not sure if this question would make sense)