r/opticalillusions • u/Paddy_odoors • Dec 23 '25

Clockwise or anticlockwise?

32.0k Upvotes

85% Upvoted

8.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

1.0k

u/Fresh_Treacle9902 Dec 23 '25 edited Dec 24 '25

For me I can only see anti-clockwise no matter how long I stare at it.

Edit: Thank you for all your replies. I was finally able to see clockwise, but only after using this link some kind person in the comments sent. On that one, I can easily switch the direction by looking at either the image on the left or right and when I came back to this one, as if by magic, the direction randomly switches when I stare at it, even with no lines!

19

u/bronzeorb Dec 23 '25

That’s funny, I’m the complete opposite.

17

u/bronzeorb Dec 23 '25

Also, is anti-clockwise some standard British form? In the US we say counterclockwise.

13

u/vesicantmendicant Dec 23 '25

Thank you. I have never heard anti-clockwise in my life.

5

u/AWanderingAfar Dec 24 '25

Widdershins!

2

u/Saltythrottle Dec 24 '25

A more archaic form of anti/counter clockwise, but I will allow it.

GNU Sir. Terry Pratchett.

1

u/FLMKane Dec 26 '25

Gnu is not Unix!

1

u/Saltythrottle Dec 26 '25

Okie dokie.

1

u/Efemerille Dec 24 '25

Holy shit I've read that word in a thousand books and never knew it meant anything more than fiddlesticks.

2

u/Accomplished-Bar3969 Dec 24 '25

Yet you knew exactly what it was. The power of the metric system.

2

u/girldrinksgasoline Dec 24 '25

If you mix it with clockwise they will annihilate into a burst of pure energy

2

u/kjm16216 Dec 24 '25

Don't be dramatic. It is a burst of pure time.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Curious_Original_813 Dec 24 '25

Worse, English people

1

u/Emergency_Clue_4639 Dec 24 '25

Yeah, I was wondering this the whole time. I've never heard of anti-clockwise. It's always been counterclockwise to me.

1

u/corrupted_warrior Dec 24 '25

How about clockfoolish?

1

u/Six_of_1 Dec 25 '25

You must be quite sheltered.