Does anyone else unconsciously avoid mirrors?

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MorningGlory439@reddit

Old, sad, and tired are the words that come to my mind when mirrors or photos are involved. Oh, and how much I look like my mother.

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Yep, bathroom lights are down low or off (I live alone) and when I do expose my face to the harsh light of day it always seems I have hair growing out of my ears. Holy Hobbit genealogy it's embarrassing at times lol.

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ice1000@reddit

*subconsciously. Unconscious people don't avoid anything.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

They're all trick mirrors, I swear. I look normal when I look in one, but if I see myself in a photo? It's like OMG who the fuck is that?!

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CodeNameFrumious@reddit

About midway through law school, I no longer had a reflection.

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mazerbrown@reddit

HA!

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mazerbrown@reddit

Remember that Amazing Stories tv show when we were younger? The episode where the girl is staring at her reflection in the mirror and a hand reaches out to grab her? There was some long term trauma there. I still ridiculously hate having mirrors around. And to answer your question, yes. I built a new bathroom last year and purposefully didn't install a mirror. I'm a much happier person for it.

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dstarpro@reddit

Yes.

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2PlasticLobsters@reddit

I avoid mirrors quite consciously, also having my picture taken. I've reached a point where I know that I don't & can't meet the societal or media standards for looking "hot". And I no longer care. It's quite freeing. I spent much of my youth worrying about hair, makeup, clothes, etc. That's quite enough for me.

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GenXgirlie@reddit

It is so freeing to be this age. There are obviously parts of aging that suck, but the silver lining is that I don’t have to give a shit about all that, and it was always exhausting because being attractive was a whole full-time job for me. Now I worry about getting enough exercise and eating right, which is so much easier and more rewarding

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PeterPunksNip@reddit

Not anymore, thanks transition ! 😁

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Phobos1982@reddit

I look in the mirror at least 20 times a day.

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hold--the--line@reddit

Definitely... maybe not subconsciously. More likely consciously.

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edwoodjrjr@reddit

I'm like Stuart Smalley with my mirrors

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Environmental-Egg893@reddit

Every day multiple times a day. I care about how I look whether I’m running to the store or going to work.

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PlantMystic@reddit

YES

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RespondOpposite@reddit

Nah. I look fine enough. I still look like me, just older. 🤷‍♀️

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KintsugiExp@reddit

Yes.

Mirrors and photos with me in them, actually.

Only when absolutely necessary at this point.

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Dahoppyz@reddit

I don’t know why this is but the face is see in the mirror is not the same face I see in pictures. Seeing recent pictures of me is quite jarring!! I am like ”who hell is that old guy wearing my clothes??” I don’t have quite the same reaction with my reflection in the mirror.

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lisanstan@reddit

I see myself in the mirror as a blend of ages. Sometimes that little magic trick isn't there and I think I look old. I also look old when I see myself unexpectedly in a reflection.

When I look at my husband he is also a blend of now and when we met.

My 35 year old son is stuck permanently at about 20 when I look at him.

At almost 61, anyone under 30 looks like a teenager to me.

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Mulva1971@reddit

I’m the same way. It’s to the point where I’m either avoiding being in photos or trying little tricks to compensate like trying to look surprised so my eyes are more open.

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NateNMaxsRobot@reddit

I feel the same exact way. The mirror above my dresser in my bedroom is the one I’ll use if I have to. It is old and tilted so I look slimmer. It’s also darker in my room.

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HighSideSurvivor@reddit

My teeth have yellowed over the years. Not crazy neon yellow, but not the clear bright white of my youth. My youngest began teasing me about them a few years ago. Now I find that I try to laugh and smile less, and I cover my mouth when I do find myself laughing or smiling.

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croissant_and_cafe@reddit

This is an easy fix with laser teeth whitening. I’m about to do this myself.

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lisanstan@reddit

It's an even easier fix to teach your children making fun of someone for things that are normal parts of aging is an asshole move.

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damagazelle@reddit

Your youngest only noticed because familiarity breeds contempt. It may be correct, technically, but nobody else notices.

If you feel moved to smile or laugh, please share it with the rest of the world. Thank you.

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SXTY82@reddit

I don't avoid them but I only have one. Need it to shave.

A month or two back I was talking to my dad and telling him how I sometimes look in the mirror and I'm surprised at the old guy looking back. He told me he doesn't look in a mirror unless he has to.

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tanhauser_gates_@reddit

Never. I try to look presentable. Mirrors help.

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lisanstan@reddit

No, but I'm also not someone who seeks out mirrors either. It is a bit disconcerting to see a long dead relative's face in the mirror occasionally, but in general it still looks like me most days.

I assume as a completely average looking person who at best was considered moderately attractive in my prime, my looks have never been intregal to my feelings of self worth. If looks are something tied to how good you feel about yourself, I can see it would be an issue. For me, age has been quite freeing. I no longer feel the need to appeal to the male or female gaze for validation. My people love me, even if I'm butt ugly.

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No-Algae-8798@reddit

After my cataract surgery, I looked in the mirror and said, "Hi Mom!"

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croissant_and_cafe@reddit

Naw, I’m cute. My daughter and I get ready together in the morning so I try not to express any negative thoughts as I do my hair and some makeup. I go to the office s few days a week, that helps honestly.

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ActionCalhoun@reddit

Yeah I find I look too much like my dad these days to look at myself

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automator3000@reddit

You have no idea how many days my partner will come home from work and say something like “how did you get that cut/bruise on your face?”

And that’s how I figure out that I hadn’t looked in a mirror all day.

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Sufficient_Stop8381@reddit

I’m a vampire

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Mistervimes65@reddit

Nah. I look good.

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DefaultAll@reddit

I don’t think I do, but then I see a bit of chocolate or a pimple on my face and think “How did I go this long without noticing it?”, so maybe?

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Squibit314@reddit

Nah, I avoid people. ;)

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om_hi@reddit

When I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and there are no lights on, yes. Emphatically, yes.

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Scarybishopface@reddit

I think I look a bit younger than I am (49) and go to the gym 5-6 times a week, so I have no problem looking at myself in the mirror. I started a new job where I have to be clean shaven, so I don’t like my bare face as much as I like my bearded one. But I like $$ more so I deal with it.

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1blueShoe@reddit

I avoid looking in them when I have my glasses on.. not kidding, taking my specks off is like an instant facelift,,that only I can see cos I can’t see all the lines 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

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blueblocker2000@reddit

Don't mind them in the bathroom but not the bedroom.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

gif

How would I speak to the salve in the magical mirror?

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trUth_b0mbs@reddit

What other stuff do you find yourself doing now that we're the 'old' people?

I dont avoid mirrors but I now have to use the 10x magnifying mirror side to do my makeup or even see things lmfao.

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effiebaby@reddit

I'm an attractive/ish 58 yo female. I have avoided mirrors my entire life. I'm not sure why, I just don't care to look at myself. Exceptions of course are putting on makeup and doing my hair.

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jnp2346@reddit

57M. I have also avoided looking in the mirror as much as I can. I’ve become adept at trimming my mustache or combing my hair while just looking at that particular part of my face.

I also dislike being photographed. Never taken a selfie in my life.

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effiebaby@reddit

I rarely take a good photo. To me, it just...flattens my features. And God forbid it's a group photo, I'm always doing something awkward, lol.

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HedgehogNo8361@reddit (OP)

Yes! I do that too.

I focus on brushing my hair without ever looking at my face.

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jnp2346@reddit

I had to get over the dislike of being photographed to some extent. My girlfriend takes photos of us on occasion when we travel. Years ago my former wife, whom I respect deeply, told me to get over myself when it comes to being photographed. I took her advice to heart. That doesn’t mean I have any interest in taking my own photograph, however.

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HedgehogNo8361@reddit (OP)

Yeah, me, too.

I also hate having my picture taken and not just because I'm aging.

I hate feeling noticed, so aging is great lol

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effiebaby@reddit

Me too!

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MishtotheMitt@reddit

Yep. My whole life.

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jesuschristjulia@reddit

I feel so bad for yall. I’m 51 and definitely an old lady but I like the way I look bc I look like the older women I knew when I was young and hot and knew nothing about life.

When I was a young woman, there were older women in my life that I deeply admired. They were smart, strong and resilient but weren’t afraid to show vulnerability. They didn’t take shit off of people but were disarmingly tender to young women like me. They’d slip me a $50 bill when the knew I was struggling. One paid the deposit on an apartment when I needed to leave my boyfriend and wasn’t yet wise enough to save for a rainy day. They were tough and told me when I was wrong but they were always on my side. They were proud of me and they spoke well of me when I wasn’t around. They’ve all passed now but when I look in the mirror, I see them. And I get to follow in their footsteps and be who they were for me, for the young women (and some men) around me.

I think I look great. I’m not hot like I used to be but I like how I look naked and am excited about my grey hairs. I put a little sunscreen and foundation on in the morning and head off.

Listen ladies, we are the elders. The women younger folks are looking to for role models - every lesson you learned earned a line on your beautiful face. So please, be proud of the things you’ve lived through and the good judgement that comes with learning, even when it’s the hard way. You definitely earned that right. And if you can, change the way young women around will feel about themselves when they get older by bestowing your hard earned wisdom and extra cash upon them. I learned today that those women ensured when I got to their age that I would be able to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of the woman looking back, jowls and all.

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RoyalPuzzleheaded259@reddit

No I actively avoid looking at mirrors. I hate how I look and wish I could grow a decent beard so I wouldn’t have to shave again. I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager.

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One-Rip2593@reddit

What? No

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PsychologicalLab6637@reddit

The last 5 years I avoid looking at myself in the mirror as much as possible. When I actually decide to wear make up I try not to pay to much attention to my whole face. Can't stand having pictures taken anymore either. I still look attractive enough but what I see and how I feel are 2 different things.

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GhostWithTheMost75@reddit

I hate going to the beauty shop, being placed in front of those big, bright mirrors. I try my best to avoid eye contact with myself.😂😂

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ApprehensiveSmell995@reddit

Nope, not that I do this unintentionally. I usually don't notice, and I automatically check on my hair, ourfit when there's a mirror almost in front of me.

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Rossoblu74@reddit

I started when I was young...

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HistoricalTowel1127@reddit

Hardly. I keep it fresh.

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foxfirejilly71@reddit

I think our timeline might be close to shifting back to proper place: I go on long daily walks in an urban area which is to say, lots of shopfront glass to catch a glimpse of self in. TODAY for the first time in I think a decade I purposefully took a peek and said to myself 'huh...not bad.' It was like some spirit of non self-loathing crawled into my spleen and twisted out the right answer. And I said it and it surprised me and for a twinkling of a nanosecond... I believed it. (54F and about [nunnya bidness!] pounds overweight ;D)

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indicus23@reddit

Nah. The greyer my beard, the greyer my hair, the more Gandalfy I look, the happier I am. I'm digging my beard, but am actually a bit miffed by how stubbornly my head hair clings to it's dark brownness.

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HighBiased@reddit

I've never really looked into the mirror much in my life other than to shave or check my hair, maybe my outfit.

So now sometimes when I catch myself in a reflection, time jumps ahead and I see an older self. Strange. But intriguing.

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designsbyintegra@reddit

It’s not even because I’m older. I’ve always hated looking at myself in the mirror.

When I wore makeup regularly I would have to shut my brain off to do it. Otherwise I would over criticize myself and feel horrible about the way I look.

I hate looking at myself in pictures too.

Body dysmorphic disorder sucks donkey balls.

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fanacapoopan@reddit

I don't look in mirrors or even my reflection in shop windows. It's been like this for years. I know it's weird . I can wash my face etc by touch.

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Ginger-Snapped3@reddit

All the time. I'm always shocked when I catch a glimpse of the old bat who lives there.

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BokChoyJr@reddit

I look at myself in the bathroom mirror when I brush my teeth in the morning and at night. I pay attention to what I see. Moles. Rosacea. Pimples. This is who I am. I am BokChoy. I acknowledge that today is another day of me in the world. But this is me. No vanity. No disappointment. No joy. No sadness. It’s me.

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Primary_Bid_8980@reddit

I avoid them, but for me it's actually a conscious decision 🫣

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RetiredPoPo10-8@reddit

So no mirrors above the bed then huh? 🤣

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Worldly_Possible2925@reddit

All my life. Including photographs.

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UgliestPumpkin@reddit

Yeah. I don’t spend much time in front of mirrors. For my work I do home visits for clients and I occasionally encounter mirrors.

It’s always “fun” to see how I look out in the world. I came across an especially large full length mirror in the entryway of my client today. And got to see my menopausal weight gain in full glory. Still having trouble with this new reality.

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HedgehogNo8361@reddit (OP)

I was scrolling through my phone a few years ago and I saw a sneaky pic my kid took of me.

I thought it was just some random middle-aged woman! I certainly did not see myself as that age lol

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atomic_ring@reddit

Yes. 58M and it's not easy because i still workout 5 days/week and the gym is full of mirrors 😅 i use an app to track workouts and accountability, and usually add a pic - can't bring myself to show my face. I avoid face pics like i was a vampire. Neck down? It's fine. Neck up? Hell no!

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sysaphiswaits@reddit

No. But I avoid cameras.

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Quirky_Commission_56@reddit

Nope. I don’t avoid mirrors at all. I need a damned magnifying mirror to see that one stubborn short gray whisker that keeps sprouting up just below my chin. And my body hair is light blonde so it’s damn near invisible.

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