Why do we see faces in things?

An odd question? Yes. But does everyone do it? Yes. And should we answer why we do it? Yes!!

Seeing faces in things, also known as pereidolia, has had many studies conducted upon it. It's a strange phenomenon, so why should we not look into it? Anyway the most famous and logical theory is that we as human beings are "hard-wired" from birth to be able to identify faces.

As we all have poor vision when we are babies, this allows us to be able to recognize a face from a distance. This evolutionary feature is used to differentiate between the friendly and not so friendly. Mistaking foe for friend could have deadly consequences, so it is vital that we have it.

But now you ask why do I still have it? Well as you basically have it all the way from birth your brain can end up accidentally mistaking certain patterns of light as faces. So for example, in the clouds you can often see faces, or even in toast because of the light patterns you are seeing. Pretty clever eh.

Unavoidable Answered.