The Number Of Triangles You See Determines If You're A Narcissist

The Psychology of Optical Illusions

The scientific study of these images isn't about deep-seated character flaws; it's about the marvelous complexity of your visual cortex.

When you look at this image, two processes are happening simultaneously:

1. Bottom-Up Processing (Data-Driven): Your eyes gather raw visual input—wavelengths of light. Your brain identifies the individual distinct shapes: the individual yellow, pink, blue, and orange objects. For the literal-minded, the answer might simply be ten. They see ten distinct physical objects that happen to be loosely triangular in form.

2. Top-Down Processing (Conceptual/Perceptual): This is where your brain, based on context and past experience, fills in the gaps. The headline "The Number of Triangles" immediately primes you to find triangles where none explicitly exist. This activates concepts of geometry.

• Pattern Seekers: These viewers will mentally draw lines connecting the ten objects to form one massive, overall triangle. Their brain is optimized for finding 'gestalt,' or looking at the bigger picture. Their answer is one.

• Geometric Sleuths: These are the people who will find every permutation. In addition to the ten individual objects,they might see smaller groupings that form larger triangular patterns. Depending on how rigorously they apply the rule, their answer could be in the dozens.

So, Am I a Narcissist? (And What the Puzzles Get Right):