Can an Optical Illusion Spot Narcissistic Traits?
In the endless flood of social media—memes, viral videos, and quick posts—few things grab attention like the infamous “personality tests.” Recently, one image has been making the rounds: concentric circles with a bold claim, “The number of circles you see determines if you’re a narcissist.” Instantly, people stop scrolling. They squint, count, and wonder—what does this say about me?
Maybe you’ve paused to count the circles yourself. Maybe you’ve sent it to a friend, curious to compare results. That’s the magic of these viral tests—they feel playful, yet oddly personal. They strike at something deeper than just a game: our desire to know ourselves, and maybe even judge others.
But here’s the question—why do we put so much faith in an image that pretends to diagnose narcissism, one of the most complex traits in human psychology? Could a few circles on a screen really reveal something about our inner selves? Logic says no, but curiosity keeps us hooked.
This fascination isn’t new. From “What Kind of Pizza Are You?” to the widely used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, personality quizzes have always thrived online. Some are just silly fun, while others feel more scientific, but all share one thing: they give us a mirror, even if distorted, to look into.
At its core, that viral circle meme reminds us of a timeless truth: people are endlessly curious about themselves. Whether or not the circles actually measure narcissism is beside the point. What matters is the pause, the thought, the what if? In a noisy digital world, that curiosity—our drive to understand who we are—keeps these simple little tests alive and endlessly shared.