general psa:
Faces are unique. That’s a pretty obvious thing. We actually search for faces in stimuli that look vaguely face-like, and we feel uncomfortable around distorted images of the face. The face is where the “you” is.
So here’s the really cool part. We don’t process faces in parts. I don’t see you as a nose and two eyes, I see you as a full face. If I don’t know you as well, I process your outer features first (chin, cheeks, forehead, head shape) and if I do, I process your inner features (nose, eyes, mouth). But no matter what, I’m not processing you piece by piece.
Do you know what that means?
It means the zit you’ve been obsessing over, the rash you got from camping, the bug bites, the sunburn, that one weird eyebrow that just won’t get along with her sister - I don’t see any of it. Nobody does.
Unless you point out your zits, people are not seeing them. Not friends, not strangers, not teachers, not that cute kid in your class.
Nobody notices them. Biologically, psychologically, physiologically.
It’s called holistic face processing, so look it up if this seems to good to be true. Then forget the cover up and go be you.
Love and light to you all.
