<p>There is a similar face possible in reality. It is a victim of burning who later received face transplantation. Looking at it is shocking. Maybe it leads to imagining the suffering? I am not posting it here—it is not pretty—but see <a href="http://www.vreesloosafrikaans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1002.png" rel="nofollow">this link</a>.</p>

<p>Edit: Actually, my example seems to be covered by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley" rel="nofollow">uncanny valley</a>: "Examples can be found in the fields of ... and in medical fields such as burn reconstruction ... and plastic surgery".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-23T14:45:52.047Z
2014-01-24T10:18:21.780Z
2014-01-24T10:18:21.780Z
Barbara
<p>It's from fear sprung out of the inability to clearly identify and interpret something and from that know how to react to it.</p>

<p>There's something skewed with what you see, something deviating from your mental model of what a face (in this example) looks like. That makes us perceive it as something unknown, and what's unknown is also perceived as unpredictable and induces an uneasiness and discomfort.</p>

<p>The reason why this is unpleasant:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/YVdm5.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>But this isn't:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7JN51m.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Is because the latter is clearly an illustration and can be subconsciously dismissed as something static/dead, and by that predictable and nonthreatening. In the first image we have a hard time identifying what it is we see, whether it's something that's alive or if it's dead. This makes us uncomfortable since we don't know how we should react to it, even if it's just an image. </p>

<p>Being confronted by it in real life would without a doubt be very disturbing since then there is no escape, it's very real, very unknown and therefore very unpredictable.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-23T13:37:42.117Z
2014-01-23T13:37:42.117Z
AndroidHustle
<p>Below is a snapshot of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140123033511-64875646-who-s-been-paid-109-million-for-not-performing-at-their-job?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">an article linked from LinkedIn</a> today.</p>

<p>What I find more disturbing than the topic at hand is the featured image used to head up the article.</p>

<p>Clearly it's important to provide suitable images to match content.</p>

<p><strong>But why is a face with no features so disturbing?</strong> </p>

<p>Is facial recognition so deeply embedded into our subconscious that the inability to distinguish any features alerts us in some way? </p>

<p>Is it the deepest ravine of the uncanny valley?</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6jATNl.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<hr>

<p><sub>Or is it just me? I mean it's not <em>me</em> obviously, in the image... is it just me that finds it disturbing?</sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-23T11:15:36.967Z
It's because of the difficulty of traversing the [uncanny valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley).
4231
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-23T20:55:33.127Z
I didn't think twice about the face. What is disturbing is that I am not as smart as these CEOs - 15M for nothing just about breaks the laws of nature and science.
Greg McNulty
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-19T20:17:34.837Z
Maybe we fear faceless humans similar to the way we fear predators. The same thing happens; our pupils dilate, our heart rate increases and we calculate our chances of survival or prepare for an attack. The same bodily reactions happen when presented with a predator and a faceless human.
user31737
<perception><emotion><aesthetics>
Why is an image of a face without features disturbing?
Roger Attrill
# Why is an image of a face without features disturbing?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-23)

Below is a snapshot of [an article linked from LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140123033511-64875646-who-s-been-paid-109-million-for-not-performing-at-their-job?trk=tod-home-art-list-large_0) today.

What I find more disturbing than the topic at hand is the featured image used to head up the article.

Clearly it's important to provide suitable images to match content.

**But why is a face with no features so disturbing?**

Is facial recognition so deeply embedded into our subconscious that the inability to distinguish any features alerts us in some way?

Is it the deepest ravine of the uncanny valley?

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/6jATNl.png)

---

Or is it just me? I mean it's not *me* obviously, in the image... is it just me that finds it disturbing?

**Tags:** perception, emotion, aesthetics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It's because of the difficulty of traversing the [uncanny valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley).  
> **username_2**: I didn't think twice about the face. What is disturbing is that I am not as smart as these CEOs - 15M for nothing just about breaks the laws of nature and science.  
> **username_3**: Maybe we fear faceless humans similar to the way we fear predators. The same thing happens; our pupils dilate, our heart rate increases and we calculate our chances of survival or prepare for an attack. The same bodily reactions happen when presented with a predator and a faceless human.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-01-23. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

It's from fear sprung out of the inability to clearly identify and interpret something and from that know how to react to it.

There's something skewed with what you see, something deviating from your mental model of what a face (in this example) looks like. That makes us perceive it as something unknown, and what's unknown is also perceived as unpredictable and induces an uneasiness and discomfort.

The reason why this is unpleasant:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/YVdm5.jpg)

But this isn't:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7JN51m.png)

Is because the latter is clearly an illustration and can be subconsciously dismissed as something static/dead, and by that predictable and nonthreatening. In the first image we have a hard time identifying what it is we see, whether it's something that's alive or if it's dead. This makes us uncomfortable since we don't know how we should react to it, even if it's just an image.

Being confronted by it in real life would without a doubt be very disturbing since then there is no escape, it's very real, very unknown and therefore very unpredictable.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-01-23. Score: 1

There is a similar face possible in reality. It is a victim of burning who later received face transplantation. Looking at it is shocking. Maybe it leads to imagining the suffering? I am not posting it here—it is not pretty—but see [this link](http://www.vreesloosafrikaans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1002.png).

Edit: Actually, my example seems to be covered by [uncanny valley](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley): "Examples can be found in the fields of ... and in medical fields such as burn reconstruction ... and plastic surgery".


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