Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site randvax.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!exodus!mhtsa!mh3bs!eagle!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!edhall
From: edhall@randvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Why do mirrors reverse left & right, not up & down?
Message-ID: <1675@randvax.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 7-Feb-84 06:49:28 EST
Article-I.D.: randvax.1675
Posted: Tue Feb  7 06:49:28 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Feb-84 02:38:48 EST
References: <541@bbncca.ARPA>, <543@bbncca.ARPA>, <3509@utzoo.UUCP>
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica
Lines: 28

--------------------------------------
Well, Laura, generalization can be dangerous.  I have very good
binocular vision, and still have one hell of a time telling left
from right.  I always have to *think* about it, and it helps a
lot if I look down and see which arm has my wristwatch on it
(my left).  And I figure out which arm to put my watch on by the
untanned band from its shadow.

On the other hand, a good friend of mine, who is blind in one eye,
has much less of a problem telling her left from her right.

I'd think that the difference between right and left would be
fundamental, yet my perceptual system (along with Laura's and
a whole lot of other people's) just doesn't seem to be set up
to distinguish it.

This leads to some other questions about perceptions and dif-
ferences in people's innate ability to perceive certains things.
It is quite possible that reality is just plain *different* for
different people, and that some disagreements between individuals
are simply insoluble.  If I can't see your point of view, perhaps
my nervous system is simply incapable of seeing things that way.

Or perhaps right/left is simply a special case.  It's food for
thought, though.

		-Ed Hall
		decvax!randvax!edhall