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> there's a push on campus to mandate the procedure, to combat "lookism." That sounds incredibly dystopian.
by ColanR 6y ago
> there's a push on campus to mandate the procedure, to combat "lookism."
That sounds incredibly dystopian.
- Aeolun 6y agoNot once everyone has it done automatically and society accepts it. It’ll be something like a vaccine against the measles.
- monadic2 6y agoGiven that it's a work of fiction, it's literally dystopian!
- rland 6y agoJust to play devil's advocate: I mean, yes, this hypothetical procedure does sound dystopian on its face (haha). But then again, imagine if you just judged people by how nice they actually were, not by what their face looked like? Imagine if you were evaluated by the merits of your mind, of you, not the 'flawed' representation of you (your face) given to you by your DNA? I've been helped enormously in almost every area of my life by the way I look and how I'm able to present myself physically. Much of that is because of my DNA -- something I didn't work for or ask for. It was given to me for free. Likewise, others are deprived through no fault of their own. Of course, that's the way it is. I like being attractive and having attractive friends and romantic partners. But what if it didn't matter? Would my life be richer?
- Infinitesimus 6y ago> Imagine if you were evaluated by the merits of your mind, of you, not the 'flawed' representation of you (your face) given to you by your DNA? Do you believe that accidents of genes (and actions taken by the mother at times) affect brain development? If so, aren't we just moving the problem to a different body part ? (keeping the devil's advocate train going )
- esperent 6y agoIt's a good train to keep going, and the end of the line will be the realisation that allowing some people to receive better treatment for any reason, birth, wealth, looks, intelligence, or anything else, is inherantly unfair. I hope that some day in the future we'll look back on the way poor people are treated now with the same horror we have today if we hear a black or gay person was refused healthcare or another service.
- kleer001 6y agoDoes "better treatment" include higher wages for skills demonstrated? Or are you talking, like, equal application of law? That what I'd assume.
- esperent 6y agoSure, that's not an issue. Those higher wages can be used to purchase trinkets like a bigger car, fancier house, whatever. As long as the important stuff like education, healthcare, transportation, legal advice etc. are equally accessible to all, and more importantly, you can't buy better healthcare, education, or legal support with more money.
- orangecat 6y agomore importantly, you can't buy better healthcare, education, or legal support with more money That's Harrison Bergeron territory. Sorry, you can't go on a vacation to France because your kids might learn something.
- esperent 6y agoObviously, like all political ideas, if you take it to the extreme it becomes nonsense. For example, we are currently living the idea of capitalism taken to the extreme, where one man can own a trillion dollars while others can't afford healthcare or education, and it's clearly becoming more and more nonsensical to allow this. Let's try swinging the needle in the other direction for a while.
- whytaka 6y agoConsider how dystopian it is that there are classes of people nigh-instantly dismissed because of their appearance. That's plenty dystopian, no?