Liking What You See: A Documentary

https://waldyrious.neocities.org/ted_chiang/liking-what-you-see-a-documentary

Brilliant premise and fantastic execution

Well, in the first paragraph I learn that “calli” as a prefix means beauty.

Ooh, when the neurologist comes up I'm reminded of the FFA (fusiform face area) region of the brain that is specialized for recognizing faces.

“Being pretty is fundamentally a passive quality; even when you work at it, you're working at being passive.”

“Every study on this issue turns up the same results: looks help people get ahead. We can't help but think of good-looking people as more competent, more honest, more deserving than others. None of it's true, but their looks still give us that impression.” This bias can be a halo effect.

I don't recall learning about Fregoli syndrome, very interesting.

5/5
I found this to be an excellent discourse around both the personal and societal notions of beauty in a digital age. The basic premise is calliagnosia, a new non-invasive medical procedure that stops individuals from seeing the features that define a face as pretty or ugly. The story is told through blog-like messages from various key players in the debate around callignosia as it is to be implemented for all students at Pembleton Collge.

Arguments for include the predisposed advantage of good looks in work and life generally, as well as the ability to judge people by their internal charm. Arguments against cover the individual right to maintain bodily autonomy and take responsibility for avoiding bias/ distractions rather than being coddled and having it done for you. The way each idea was explored, attached to a human voice or story (such as when corporations get involved) make it that much more of an interesting read. And as if this all wasn't enough, Chiang throws in some more feasible-in-the-near-future technologies such as spex and personalised ads that definitely attempt to leverage an individual's perception and decision-making beyond what the brain has naturally grown to control. This all makes for an educative, reflective and exciting read!