designer selects stuff 180 degrees from where i am facing?

[QuakeIV]

So, in an effort to avoid inadvertently selecting faces, I have been trying to select them from the interior of the model.

This has the unfortunate side effect of not working, because it will select faces approximately 180 degrees opposed from where I am looking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxh0-ehNNs8