A picture of two colleagues hugging has sent the internet into a tailspin

Most people can say that they have a good relationship with their colleagues. The office has a pleasant atmosphere and you may find yourself making friends with your co-workers beyond the annual teambuilding retreats. 

With this in mind, seeing a picture of two colleagues sharing a friendly hug should not cause any alarm. Unless, of course, it is this picture here.

It is just two people greeting each other, perhaps after a weekend away from the office, right? Desk mates are known to develop strong bonds, so there's nothing to see here. 

Or is there?

If you look closely at this picture (two or three times, if necessary) you will see that it is not clear whose arms are going where. Is the dark-haired man wearing heels? Is his blonde colleague wearing a flannel shirt?

It's quite a conundrum. 

Closer inspection does reveal, however, that it is the woman who is wearing heels and a denim shirt that is standing to give her colleague, who is seated and wearing a flannel shirt, a hug.

But that still doesn't explain why his neck and head align so well with her body...

This is likely another case of people seeing what they want to see, but it does raise the question: why are we so quick to fall for these optical illusions?

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