smplmn once saw an interview with a very high-powered fashion model who said that she'd seen a really beautiful woman on a magazine cover, wondered who it was, and looked inside, only to discover that it was a picture of her. She didn't recognize herself.

I think we generally don't share our fears, insecurities, worries, or bad fortune. As a result, what we see in others is pretty much sunny-side-up, and we don't recognize that.