In this riddle you are asked: "What looks back at you but cannot see?" Which everyday object is being described?

Introduction / Context:
This is a short, imaginative riddle about perception and reflection. The question asks you to think of something that "looks back" at you, even though it has no eyes or consciousness and therefore cannot truly see. Such riddles encourage you to shift from a literal understanding of vision to a figurative one, where "looking back" means creating an image or reflection of you.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The riddle states: "What looks back but cannot see?"
• We must identify a single object that fits this description.
• The options include a mirror, a camera, a photograph and a window.
• We assume "looks back" refers to showing your own image to you, not to the object having real eyesight.

Concept / Approach:
The key idea is that some objects reflect or show your image when you face them. A mirror is the most direct example: when you stand in front of a mirror, you see yourself "looking back" at you. However, the mirror itself has no brain or eyes and cannot truly see. Other options, like a camera or photograph, also show images, but they work differently. The riddle traditionally points to the mirror because it instantly reflects you in real time as if it were another person facing you.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Think about what happens when you stand in front of a mirror. You see your own face and eyes looking back at you. Step 2: Notice that we often describe this experience as "the mirror looking back," although we know the mirror is just reflecting light. Step 3: Recognise that the mirror itself does not see; it simply returns the image of whatever is in front of it. Step 4: Consider a camera. It records images and can be said to "capture" what it sees, but it does not directly show you a live reflection unless connected to a screen and used in a special way. Step 5: A photograph is a static picture and does not change or "look back" in the dynamic sense that a mirror does. Step 6: A window lets you see through to the other side but does not normally show a clear reflection in the way a mirror does. Step 7: Therefore, the object most naturally described as looking back at you but unable to see is a mirror.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, imagine trying to replace the word "mirror" in the riddle with each of the other options. Saying "A photograph looks back but cannot see" sounds unnatural, because the photograph is simply an image frozen in time. A camera does not constantly show your face unless it is part of a live system, and the riddle does not reference such technology. Only a mirror naturally creates the experience of a face facing you, which matches the phrase "looks back" perfectly while remaining literally unable to see.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A camera is more associated with recording images than reflecting them live in front of you. A photograph displays a picture but does not interact or respond, making the phrase "looks back" less appropriate. A window may show a faint reflection at times but is mainly meant for seeing through, so it does not fit the usual imaginative wording of the riddle. Thus, none of these alternatives capture the intended idea as well as a mirror does.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners get distracted by the idea that a camera "sees" in a technological sense or that a smartphone screen can show live images. However, classic riddles normally refer to simple, traditional objects and everyday experiences, such as looking into a mirror. Another common mistake is to search for a deeper or abstract meaning, when the answer is actually a very ordinary object used in a slightly poetic way.

Final Answer:
The object that looks back at you but cannot see is a mirror.