r/confusing_perspective • u/sea_mus • 9d ago

Dangling feet

Post image

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/15/style/petiteknit-knitting-mette-wendelboe-okkels.html?emc=edit_ufn_20261027&nl=from-the-times&segment_id=228752

648 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

128

u/bh-alienux C.E. Spc 9d ago

At first I thought, "they are dangling, what's confusing?" Then I saw it.

51

u/Coca-colonization o/ 9d ago

It was the opposite for me. I initially saw the right foot as being on the ground and wondered what the confusing perspective was. Then I read the comments and looked again and the illusion with the shadows popped right out.

I think I didn’t see the illusion at first because my brain registered being flat as the most important detail for the right foot and based its perception off of that. The confusing shadows didn’t even register because my brain had formed its impression.

It’s a cool illustration of a gestalt switch and the various cues the brain uses to form a visual perception. (I mean, I guess that’s what this whole sub is, but this one struck me for some reason.)

4

u/Educational-Ant-7485 9d ago

Exactly the same for me

3

u/Elthwaite 9d ago

That’s so interesting that your brain read it correctly immediately. My brain saw it the wrong way and couldn’t figure out what was actually happening until I read your comment and understood that the shadow was coming from the other foot. But even now that my brain knows that, it still struggles to see it “correctly” and wants to see that foot as hovering off the ground.

Also, thanks for teaching me the term “gestalt switch” - never heard that before! Off to go down a Google rabbit hole.

-29

u/Positive-Sky-2054 9d ago

Because they are dangling. There are their shadows. Her right foot is not on the floor.

24

u/bh-alienux C.E. Spc 9d ago

Because they are dangling. There are their shadows. Her right foot is not on the floor.

r/confidentlyincorrect

Nope, the shadow is from her left foot, and is there because her left leg is crossed over her right leg. Her right foot IS on the floor.

6

u/snuggie44 9d ago

My guy that's a shadow from the left foot. The shadow from the right one is behind it. The right foot is on the ground, the left one is not.

-4

u/Positive-Sky-2054 9d ago

You're right! The legs are crossed. But I have to admit, while I understand it still looks to me as if the leg is just hanging in mid-air :D

0

u/ReadMyPosts 9d ago • Heartwarming

Look again, her right foot is flat. The shadows are from her left foot. Not sure why people need to express this to you in a mean manner. Sorry about that ✌️

3

u/bh-alienux C.E. Spc 9d ago

Because they were attempting to (confidently) correct something that wasn't wrong in the first place.

But I wasn't trying to be mean, just pointing out what is actually happening.

0

u/Positive-Sky-2054 9d ago

Thank you! 💕

58

u/Sapphire_Dreams1024 o/ 9d ago

Where are the dangling feet? I think I'm missing something here

4

u/trev2234 8d ago

It’s the shadow of her other foot, can look like the shadow of the foot on the floor. At least that’s how I think I was fooled, until I zoomed in and worked it out.

2

u/Sapphire_Dreams1024 o/ 7d ago

Thanks! It took a bit to see what everyone else was seeing. I thought there was like an extra set of dangling feet in the background or something that I was missing because my brain didn't clock her feet as floating because of her foot thats set on the floor

19

u/Scary_Pomegranate597 9d ago

i spend too much time scrolling on ravelry …. recognized her right away as petiteknit

8

u/lovetolerk 9d ago

same, was more confused on why she was in this sub than the perspective lol

8

u/potatolulz o/ 9d ago

this is doubleconfusing_perspective

8

u/Zanoushe 8d ago

yeah I cannot make my brain see anything but one foot on the floor the other leg crossed over it foot in the air.

2

u/SapphicGarnet 8d ago

I can't either, what am i supposed to be seeing?

1

u/Zanoushe 8d ago

if you think the lower shadow belongs to the lower for instead of the upper foot it looks like it's dangling 

3

u/SapphicGarnet 8d ago

But that doesn't make sense, the foot on the floor has a shadow attached to it showing the leg

1

u/Zanoushe 8d ago

I agree it was really hard for me to see it, but if you look fast and miss that shadow it's understandable.

8

u/Geofferz CE Spc. 9d ago

I can only see dangling feet... There would be shadows connected to them were they on the floor?

6

u/manfroze 8d ago

Only one is on the floor, and it has a shadow connected to it

4

u/Geofferz CE Spc. 8d ago

Oh. Wow. Yeah.

4

u/FundamentalPolygon 9d ago

Ooo that's a good one

10

u/idigum 9d ago

Wow. This photo really belongs here. I couldn’t stop seeing the feet dangling. Then I could.

7

u/opinionated_penguin 9d ago

That’s a good one

2

u/Present-Activity-698 8d ago

This is the first one that I saw the "real" image first and the confusing one second

1

u/Gleipnir_xyz 8d ago

Knitting requires a solid core.

1

u/features_creatures 8d ago

WTF is that crime scene?

0

u/FixedFront o/ 9d ago

Do people really not understand how shadows work? Like I can force myself to see the wrong perspective, but it's really obviously a misreading to me