Reflection of Illusions: What We See in Ourselves and in the Mirror

When a person looks in the mirror, they see only the outside—their outer self. This reflection often becomes a mask that hides their true inner self. In it, they might see what they want the world to see: confidence, strength, beauty, or maybe tiredness and weakness. But the mirror lies because it can’t show the depth of the soul, where real fears, hopes, and dreams live. It’s like cold glass that reflects light but not warmth, showing us just a shadow of who we are, not what we feel. As the English writer Oscar Wilde said: "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." ("Most people are like other people. Their thoughts come from someone else’s ideas, their lives are a copy, their passions are just borrowed.") We look in the mirror and see not ourselves, but a reflection of who society wants us to be or who we try to pretend to be to fit in.

In the picture, a man stands in a desert, surrounded by donkeys. His reflection in the mirror shows a different image: younger and more confident, like from the past or a hoped-for future. The donkeys nearby symbolize stubbornness and simplicity, as if reminding us of life’s basic nature. These quiet, patient animals act like another kind of mirror, reflecting our connection to nature and that primal part of us we often try to hide under layers of civilization. The man sees in himself what he wants to see, not who he really is. He might think he’s better than nature or his instincts, but the donkeys are his shadow—a part of him he doesn’t want to admit. They stand like guards, reminding us that, like them, we carry the burden of our lives, often stubbornly following a path we’ve forced on ourselves.

The mirror becomes a symbol of self-deception. We look into it to convince ourselves of who we want to be, but we rarely ask: who are we really? Looking inside is like a journey into the desert of our own soul, where there’s nothing but ourselves, our thoughts as companions, and the light we create. The moon in the sky, like an ancient witness, lights up this scene, reminding us that the truth is hidden in the shadows. Only those brave enough to look beyond the reflection can find it. But how often do we fear this step? How often do we choose to stay trapped in the illusions the mirror creates, instead of facing the desert within us? We’re afraid to see ourselves not as a hero or a wise person, but as a simple donkey—stubborn but honest, carrying its load without pretending. Yet, perhaps true wisdom lies in this honesty, in accepting who we really are.