Have you ever seen someone that looked like someone you knew, but actually wasn't them?

Yep all the time. I get caught staring.

Many times. It’s a very odd feeling, and I always wonder if they’re thinking I look like someone they know. I have noticed that many times when this happens, they’ll resemble someone in profile only—or straight on only, but not from a 360 degree view. I’ve even stopped people coming down the aisle on an airplane to say howdy to them from my seat . . . only to find out they weren’t who I thought they were.

Not always the same person, but yeah, it happens frequently enough.

Yes,I talked to a man that looked just like my brother.We had a conversation across a parking lot and as we got closer,we just laughed.:)

Yes, just last week, I thought I saw my girlfriend through the window of a clothes shop…, turned out to be Angelina Jolie.

Yes, it happens with alarming frequency. One time, there was a manager attending a two-week class I ran, and she was the spitting image of an old friend. She kindly agreed to e-mail me a photo of her, and I forwarded it on to the friend’s husband. He agreed that the resemblance was close. It was a challenge not to call her by the friend’s name.

One time, the role was reversed, and a new co-worker said that I looked like an old friend of hers. When she showed me a photo of the girl, I could see what she meant. We all have a Doppelganger out there…somewhere.

Oh yes, and I’ve walked up to them, flung my arms wide open to give them a hug. A beaming smile on my face, only to see as I got closer that it wasn’t who I’d thought it was! Wished the earth would open up and swallow me!

I may have gotten someone’s attention or said hello and then apologized and explained, but I usually figure it out before speaking. I’ve waved at more wrong people than I can count.

More often, I am the one mistaken for someone else. It is kind of weird telling them they are talking to a complete stranger – especially when they are certain they are right and try to convince me I really am someone else.

Yep.

I have a theory around this phenomenon—I believe there are finite numbers of human facial characteristics. The older we get, the more we see the various combinations of these features and our brains begin to label them—that is “John’s hair” or “Patty’s nose.” Then, at a glance, if person XYZ has Patty’s nose and Patty’s chin and a bit of Patty’s hair, then surely it must be Patty. Just a theory based on my own experience and that of people with whom I’ve shared this theory—no scientists were harmed in the crafting of this message.

@Supracase Oh, are you the one who keeps waving at me? I was wondering!

Lol! Yeah, it happens quite scarily often.

All the time. I often do the awkward half wave and then run along on my merry way when I realise I’ve no idea who I’m waving at

I think I see him daily…

Yes. In fact, it happened yesterday. There was a young woman sitting at a table where I work and she looked for all the world like one of nieces.

Yeah. Sometimes we continue a conversation even when we notice we do not know each other but sometimes people are a bit “Scared” or so to say and don’t want any part in this sort of socialization.

@snowberry Yes! I have been waving at – oh, wait, I thought you were somebody else. Sorry.

Yes, but one very weird occasion was about six months after my father died and I was at work and this man walked into our office. I swear, he was my father’s doppelganger. He even walked and dressed in the same style. I had to do a double take and remind myself that my dad was gone and even if he wasn’t he sure as heck wouldn’t be in that office 12,000 miles from home. Very shocking all the same.