Glare

The spotlight is deceiving. From the audience’s perspective, everything is illuminated. The limelight offers supreme clarity.

But when you’re the one in the spotlight, the brighter it is, the less you can see. The light has a blinding effect while the the audience (with their clear view) is obscured in darkness.

Or consider playing catch. When the sun is directly behind one person, they have clear sight of the target. But the person trying to catch will have trouble because of the glare. A dropped pass, ironically, is visible to everyone except the one who needs to catch it.

We don’t always see what others see — even when we’re looking in the same direction, but especially when we’re looking at each other. Spotlights (real or figurative) make it even more complex.