You’ve probably seen it floating around social media—an image of concentric circles with a bold claim: “The number of circles you see reveals if you’re a narcissist.” It’s eye-catching, shareable, and plays into our love of quick personality tests. But is there any real science behind it?
The short answer: no. While optical illusions can reveal fascinating quirks about human perception, they can’t diagnose complex personality traits like narcissism. The meme works because it’s simple, provocative, and gives instant “results”—but it’s pure entertainment, not psychology.
That said, the fascination with such tests says a lot about us. We crave self-discovery and easy answers, especially in an age of social media where personality quizzes run rampant. But narcissism, clinically speaking, involves deep-seated patterns of behavior—not how you interpret a black-and-white image.
So next time you see this meme, enjoy the illusion, but don’t take it too seriously. Real self-understanding takes more than counting circles.
