At first glance, the image looks simple: a colorful arrangement of square blocks stacked neatly together.

The caption reads, “Most People Are Narcissists… Count the Squares.” It feels like a playful brain teaser — count the visible squares and see what number you get. But beneath the surface, this visual puzzle reveals something deeper about perception, attention, and even ego.

So how many squares do you see?

Some people answer quickly. They count only the obvious top-facing squares. Others look more carefully and include the front-facing ones. A few examine the edges and notice hidden overlaps. The number varies depending on how deeply someone observes.

And that’s where the real message begins.

The Psychology Behind What We See

Human perception is selective. Our brains are wired to process information quickly and efficiently. In doing so, we often focus only on what’s most obvious — the surfaces directly in front of us. We assume what we see is complete.

This tendency is closely tied to something psychologists call cognitive bias. We trust our first impression. We believe our interpretation is correct. And when someone else gives a different answer, we may dismiss it instead of reconsidering.

In many ways, that’s where the connection to narcissism comes in.

The “I’m Right” Reflex

The word “narcissist” is often used casually today. Clinically, narcissism refers to an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration, and difficulty empathizing with others. But in everyday life, mild narcissistic traits appear in small, subtle ways.

For example, when someone counts the squares and confidently declares, “There are 8,” they might feel certain they’re correct. If another person says, “Actually, there are 12,” the immediate reaction may not be curiosity — it may be defensiveness.

“I looked carefully.”
“You must be wrong.”
“I know what I saw.”

The puzzle becomes less about counting squares and more about protecting the ego.

Layers Beyond the Surface

If you take a second look at the blocks, you may notice that the arrangement creates overlapping perspectives. Some squares are visible from the top. Others appear on the front. Depending on the angle, you might count different totals.

Life works the same way.

We see situations from our own angle and assume that’s the full picture. We count what’s obvious to us. But someone standing at a different perspective may see more — or less.

The true lesson isn’t about how many squares exist. It’s about how willing we are to reconsider our initial answer.

Are Most People Narcissists?

The headline is intentionally provocative. Not everyone is a narcissist in the clinical sense. However, many of us have moments when we prioritize our perspective above others. We rush to conclusions. We defend our views. We resist being corrected.

The colorful blocks in the image represent more than geometry. They represent complexity. Every square depends on how you look at it.

The question isn’t just “How many squares are there?”

The deeper question is:

Are you willing to count again?

Because growth begins when we pause, look closer, and admit we might not have seen everything the first time.

Sometimes, the real test isn’t intelligence.

It’s humility.

And that may be the most important square of all.