We see things, not the way they are, but the way we are. And we tend to see what we expect to see. For example:

1. Loveisnowhere

2. Theytoldhimtobeatthefrontdoor

3. rat eht was tac ehT

1. We may see “Love is now here” or “Love is nowhere” depending on whether we are feeling hopeful or hopeless!

2. It is easy to perceive “be at the front door” because we would not expect anyone to “beat the front door.”

3. Almost everybody misreads this back-to-front teaser. “The cat saw…” are words belonging together as are “cat … rat.” But “cat … tar” do not.

— Peter Cotterell, “Look Who’s Talking,” Kingsway Publications