Question: [![lotr meme](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SsEzO.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SsEzO.jpg)
i know smeagol and gollum are basically the same person, but what does it mean in this meme?

Answer: 
When somebody is standing in front of a crowd and they say *left* or *right*, it's almost always in reference to the perspective of the crowd that is being addressed.

A teacher may turn and point to the blackboard, indicated something to the left or right as they are *now* facing.

In theatre, if an actor or director wants to talk about things from the perspective of people *on the stage facing the audience*, they use the phrases [**stage left**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stage%20left) and [**stage right**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stage%20right) (from Merriam-Webster). Note that that is not spoken to the audience; it's for stage direction behind the scenes and during rehearsals. The audience uses the normal words.

So, the assumption is normally the perspective of the audience.

But if it's unclear, clarifying language can be used.
In real life, it would be strange for an instructor to say something like this. Most people would keep the difference in perspective in mind and specify whose perspective they are speaking from.

> 
> Take a look at the diagram on **your** left.
> 
> 
> 

It does happen that instructors sometimes forget about the perspective difference and say something as in your example. But it is normally an oversight and its ambiguity can sometimes be clarified through context or simply asking.