i never understood the question: how could anybody ever even think that a mirror flips left and right? there is no emperical way to observe this behaviour (with a single flat mirror).
This is one of those Feynman questions where understanding the question requires a certain way of thinking that discards common sense. Similar to his "Why is the wall not see-through?" question.
The way I think about is: "When you are looking at a mirror, and you blink your left eye, mirror-you blinks his right eye. But when you are laying on your side looking at a mirror, and you blink your top eye, mirror you blinks his top eye."
still don't get it: when i blink my left eye, mirror me blinks his left eye.
maybe this question would make sense, if i would see myself as the center of the universe, all creation and all there is - but there is a pretty high chance that i ain't. (and even then i'm not sure if this question would make sense)
The question itself stems from confusion about what's being seen. It's not uncommon, especially with children, for people to become slightly confused while using a mirror. For instance, on seeing some smudge on their left cheek trying to wipe it from their right cheek. Once they start moving of course the error becomes obvious. Their initial understanding of the image is really what the image would be if you had a camera facing you and then used a video display as your mirror.
I have this problem all the time! I even shave by touch and then check in the mirror whether I've missed a spot rather than shave while looking in the mirror because I can't avoid being confused about this. I can, while looking at the mirror, reason about which way I need to move my hand to get at a certain spot on my face's reflection, but it's much faster to stop looking at the mirror and let (correct) instincts kick in.
I had my tongue pierced a few years back and even now (not that I do it very often), when looking in a mirror to put the ball back on the 'stick' (I don't know what it's called!) I drive myself nuts.
In one hand I'm trying to hold/'point' the 'stick' and in the other hand, not only am I trying to get the ball to the end of the stick, but at the same time trying to rotate it so that the hole in the ball lines up with the end of the stick. Everything points, moves and rolls totally against what I think it should be doing.
I, like you, find it easier to just do away with the mirror and try and work it out myself.
Having said that, this whole conversation has made me really think about the mirror and so I'm hoping that next time, it won't be so hard!
If there was a person standing in front of you instead of a mirror reflection, he would be blinking his right eye when you blinked your left eye. That's where the confusion comes from - you are thinking of the mirror man's blinking eye as "left" from your perspective whereas everyone else (and the original question) refers to it as the right eye from the perspective of the man in the mirror.
ok, now i get it. still it bothers me why anyone would think that a mirror switches left/right when everybody who looks into a mirror can clearly see that this is not the case. i never thought of myself as an empericist, but it seems i am.
If there were a person who looked like a version of you who was "flipped" left/right they would look exactly like the mirror version of you. However, it's equally valid to consider such a "mirror-person" as being flipped top/bottom or inverted front to back. However, these are much less intuitive transforms.
>If there were a person who looked like a version of you who was "flipped" left/right they would look exactly like the mirror version of you.
if the left/right switched person would stand where mirror me is standing, loooking in the direction where mirror me is starring, he would not look like mirror me, he would be switched left/right.
