THE “RECIPE” FRAMEWORK: UNDERSTANDING THE MAGIC BEHIND VISUAL PERSONALITY TESTS
To make this fun, we’ll treat the entire exploration like a “cognitive recipe”—a method to mix perception, psychology, and skepticism to bake a deeper understanding of yourself.
INGREDIENTS (WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU START)
Before examining why the number of squares you see feels meaningful, assemble the following conceptual ingredients:
1. A visual puzzle (real or imagined)
This is the image with overlapping squares—some large, some small, some hidden in intersections.
2. Curiosity about how your mind works
This is the fuel that makes these viral tests so beloved.
3. An understanding that personality ≠ diagnosis
Counting squares tells us something, but not whether you have a personality disorder.
4. A willingness to explore cognitive psychology
We’ll discuss perception, attentional bias, confidence, schema patterns, and more.
5. A dash of skepticism
Because the internet is full of pseudo-psychology.
With these “ingredients,” you're ready to follow the recipe.
STEP 1: MIXING THE FACTS — WHY SQUARE-COUNTING TESTS FEEL SO PERSONAL
When you stare at an ambiguous visual puzzle, your brain is forced to interpret incomplete information. Everyone’s brain handles this slightly differently.
This creates the illusion that:
“The number of squares I found reflects something uniquely true about me.”
But actually, what it reflects are three universal cognitive processes:
1. Your Attention to Detail
Some people immediately scan the big picture; others zoom in on details.
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Big-picture thinkers may count fewer squares.
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Detail-oriented thinkers tend to find more hidden shapes.
This has nothing to do with narcissism—but everything to do with your thinking preferences.
2. Your Pattern Recognition Skills
When you look at a grid with multiple overlapping boxes, your brain tries to impose structure.
Some people:
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Count only the obvious shapes
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Count all intersections
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Count combinations of shapes
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Recount to verify
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Overthink and search for hidden patterns
None of this indicates narcissism, but it does show how your brain organizes chaos.
3. Cognitive Persistence
Are you someone who:
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Quits the moment you get an answer?
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Keeps searching obsessively?
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Doubts yourself and recounts?
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Challenges the premise of the puzzle?
This is where personality begins to show—not as diagnosis, but as preference.
STEP 2: UNDERSTANDING THE MYTH — HOW NARCISSISM GOT MIXED INTO A SQUARE PUZZLE
Viral tests use dramatic labels to get clicks. Words like:
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Narcissist
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Empath
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Genius
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Blind
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Creative
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Chaotic
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Introverted
…trigger emotional reactions. “Narcissist” is one of the most clickable terms because it’s powerful and stigmatized. So creators attach it to harmless puzzles to make them seem scientific.
But in reality:
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Narcissistic Personality Disorder is diagnosed by trained professionals
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It involves long-term patterns of behavior
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It cannot be determined by a puzzle, color preference, or optical illusion
So how did the myth start?
Here’s the secret:
Internet quizzes use the Barnum effect—the tendency to believe vague, flattering, or dramatic descriptions about ourselves.
If a result says:
“You found 16 squares—you’re incredibly observant and independent.”
Most people think:
“That sounds like me!”
But if it says:
“You found 20 squares—you may be a narcissist.”
People panic.
This is psychology used incorrectly.
STEP 3: ADDING INSIGHT — WHAT THE NUMBER YOU SEE ACTUALLY REVEALS
Even though a puzzle can’t diagnose a disorder, it can highlight meaningful cognitive patterns. This is the fun part of the recipe: understanding what your “square number” might suggest about how your mind tends to operate.
1. If You Saw Few Squares (Low Count)
You may be a:
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Big-picture thinker
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Person who doesn’t dwell on minute details
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Someone who prefers clarity and simplicity
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Fast decision-maker
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Someone who trusts their first impression
You might have:
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Efficient thinking
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High-level conceptual skills
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A practical approach to problems
This has zero connection to narcissism.
2. If You Saw a Moderate Number of Squares
You may be:
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A balance of detail-oriented and intuitive
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Someone who analyzes selectively
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Flexible in thinking
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Comfortable with ambiguity
You might:
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Double-check your work
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Question assumptions
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Look beyond the obvious
Again: not narcissism—just balanced cognition.
3. If You Saw Many or All Squares (High Count)
You might be:
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Highly detail-oriented
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Analytical
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Meticulous
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Curious
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Persistent
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Good at decomposing complex visuals
These traits can be positive or burdensome depending on context.
Still no relation to narcissism.
STEP 4: THE “SECRET SAUCE” — WHY PEOPLE ASSUME HIGH COUNTS = NARCISSISM
Here’s where the misconception sneaks in.
Some viral posts claim:
"People who count the most squares are narcissists because they believe they see more than others."
Incorrect—but here’s why the idea feels believable:
1. Narcissism involves grandiosity
People assume a person who claims to see more squares might be bragging.
2. Narcissists often insist others are wrong
Puzzle arguments can resemble this trait—even though it’s just normal disagreement.
3. Overconfidence can look narcissistic
Some people confidently declare their answer. Confidence ≠ narcissism.
4. High counters tend to defend their logic
This looks like dominance, but it’s really just problem-solving.
5. Humans love simple explanations
“If you counted more, it must mean something.”
We crave meaning in randomness.
But correlation is not causation.
None of these traits diagnose NPD.
STEP 5: BAKING EVERYTHING TOGETHER — WHAT THIS PUZZLE REALLY TEACHES YOU
The number of squares you see teaches you much more about thinking than personality disorders.
Here’s what it actually reveals:
1. How You Approach Complexity
Do you simplify? Multiply? Break things apart?
2. How You Handle Ambiguity
Do you want one right answer or explore multiple?
3. How You Deal With Disagreement
Do you accept others’ counts or challenge them?
4. How You Balance Intuition and Analysis
Some people trust their gut; others re-evaluate.
5. Your Relationship With Certainty
Do you stop when satisfied
—OR—
cannot rest until you find every tiny detail?
These are meaningful insights—far more meaningful than a false diagnosis.
STEP 6: GARNISHING WITH CRITICAL THINKING — HOW TO SPOT PSEUDOSCIENCE IN VIRAL QUIZZES
To finish our recipe, let’s add a topping of critical thinking.
Here’s how to know a quiz is pseudoscience:
1. Claims to diagnose mental illness without a clinician
Immediate red flag.
2. Uses dramatic labels (“narcissist,” “genius,” “psychopath”)
3. Offers results flattering enough to feel true
4. Uses ambiguous images or symbols
5. Has no research citations
6. Encourages emotional reactions
These characteristics are designed to trigger virality—not accuracy.
STEP 7: SERVING SUGGESTIONS — HOW TO USE THESE TESTS IN A HEALTHY WAY
So what’s the right way to engage with visual puzzles?
1. Treat them like conversation starters
Fun, harmless, social.
2. Use them to reflect on thinking habits
Not disorders.
3. Challenge your mind
Try seeing more or fewer patterns.
4. Explore how others interpret the same image
Great for understanding cognitive diversity.
5. Practice mindfulness
Notice how quickly your mind categorizes information.
6. Use them to improve observation skills
But don’t derive self-worth from them.
STEP 8: THE FINAL COURSE — WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM ALL THIS
Let’s summarize the entire 2000-word “recipe.”
✔ Counting squares does not reveal narcissism
No visual puzzle can diagnose a complex psychological condition.
✔ The number you see does reveal cognitive tendencies
Detail-oriented vs. big-picture
Persistent vs. intuitive
Analytical vs. simple-thinking
✔ Viral tests use dramatic labels to gain attention
“Narcissist” sells—but inaccurately.
✔ You can use these puzzles meaningfully
To explore thinking styles
To engage with others
To train the brain
To reflect on perception differences
✔ Enjoy the game—don't fear the label
Your brain is unique. That’s the real takeaway.
Conclusion: A Puzzle Can’t Diagnose You, But It Can Teach You About Yourself
The idea that the number of squares you see determines narcissism is a myth—but an interesting myth. Because behind it lies something real and profound:
Everyone sees the world a little differently.
Some notice the big shape.
Some find every hidden detail.
Some stop at the first number.
Some question everything.
This diversity is what makes perception fascinating—and puzzles so fun.
Use this “recipe” to understand yourself, not fear labels.
Your mind is not a diagnosis—it's a dynamic, ever-evolving landscape.
If you’d like, I can also write:
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A shorter 500-word version
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A purely humorous version
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A scientifically explained version
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A version formatted like a literal cooking recipe
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A version written for TikTok or YouTube
Just tell me!
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