Not Loving Liking What You See

A viral critique on the rationality forum LessWrong, titled 'Not Loving Liking What You See,' takes aim at acclaimed sci-fi author Ted Chiang's story 'Liking What You See: A Documentary.' The story's central technology induces 'calliagnosia'—a condition that eliminates a person's aesthetic reaction to physical beauty while leaving visual perception intact. The narrative uses this concept to meditate on 'lookism' and societal bias. However, the critique argues Chiang's exploration is fundamentally flawed because it ignores the evolutionary purpose of beauty.

The author, Tomás B., contends that human beauty is largely a collection of markers for health, youth, and genetic fitness. By removing the motivational force of physical attraction, a society of calliagnosics would, over generations, make mating choices less aligned with these health correlates. This would lead to a long-term drift toward 'ill-health and retarded fecundity,' fundamentally altering humanity in a way the original story's characters fail to confront. The post has ignited debate within the AI and tech ethics community, framing the story as a cautionary tale about using technology to sever the link between perception and evolutionary instinct without considering the catastrophic downstream consequences.