By Sophia Wang
Have you ever noticed a sense of deja vu every time you’re playing with your friend’s dog? Maybe that feeling of, ‘ Hey, that dog’s face looks sort of familiar.’ But then brush it off because why would anyone hear you out? You are literally referring to your friend as a dog. Or maybe you’re reading this saying, ‘No, I don’t look like my dog.’ Well, that’s because this article is written about you. Ignorance is bliss.
If this theory is unheard of to you, then you’re probably missing out on early childhood memories. For the people who remember watching Disney’s 101 Dalmations as a kid, you may or may not remember the scene when Pongo looks out of the window to see owners walking their dogs on the street:
If that seemed like it was done on purpose. Fair. But, look at Disney villains like Jafar who has the parrot named Iago in Aladdin that has the same essence of deceitfulness.
Now look at how Flynn Rider’s partner; Maximus, the horse in Tangled, has a more elongated face shape, similar to his human companion. Not only that, but Maximus and Flynn also both share the renowned smirk that makes all the girls fluster. Believe it now?
Okay, so why does this happen? Well, according to a professor from Japan’s Kwansei Gakuin University, Dr. Sadahiko Nakajima, the phenomenon is known as the ‘mere exposure effect’. We human beings are tuned in and accustomed to seeing things that are familiar to us, therefore subconsciously making us pick an animal that most resembles ourselves above more foreign animals. Everyone has a little narcissism in them, which is why if you find yourself sharing a special ‘bond’ with your animal, it might just be because they have subtle characteristics that mimic you. I think that having a companion to whom you feel you can relate
Putting this claim to the test, I have taken some of our fellow CIS students who have animals of their own, and compared both of their faces side by side. It is worth mentioning that I have only collected individuals who have chosen their pets themselves — and not pets that were chosen by their parents, as that would disrupt the relativity.
People
So next time you are confronted with a friend’s pet, maybe try charming them by complimenting them on a quality that resembles their owner. Maybe this is the new astrology and MBTI.