Denial of observable reality is a hell of a thing

Was looking at some photos of myself from 2019. Back then I was only on minoxodil: I had noticed overall thinning of my hair, but I thought my hairline was still fine.

In retrospect, looking at those photos, my temples were getting raped hard and my hairline was getting narrower and narrower. It just somehow didn't register to me that I was not just thinning but also receding. Like the truth was there right before my eyes but I didn't process it at all.