“Liking What You See: A Documentary” (2002), Ted Chiang
“We’ve reached a point where we can begin to adjust our minds. The question is, when is it appropriate for us to do so? We shouldn’t automatically accept that natural is better, nor should we automatically presume that we can improve on nature. It’s up to us to decide which qualities we value, and what’s the best way to achieve those. I say that physical beauty is something we no longer need” (268).
In the story “Liking What You See: A Documentary,” Ted Chiang uses the format of a documentary film transcript to present conflicting views on the place of beauty—specifically, the beauty of a human face. We read an ongoing debate in a near-future America. The subject of the debate is where the science fiction enters: a new technology that allows people to adjust their brains so that they no longer perceive the distinctions of beauty in human faces. They can still tell one face from another, but they no longer regard one face as more beautiful than another. Everyone—even the people who receive the treatment—becomes individual but unremarkable.
In this near future, the brain adjustment (called “calliagnosia,” from calli [“beautiful”] and agnosia [“the loss of the ability to recognize familiar objects”]; “calli,” for short) is optional. A college campus is about to decide whether to require calli. As we read the transcript, we hear different opinions on the technology. Some people claim that removing human beauty from everyday life enables people to be more focused on work and school. Some advocates recommend the ability to switch the calli on or off, as needed. As one says, “we can promote the idea that beauty is appropriate in some situations and not in others” (270). Another student agrees: “Beauty isn’t the problem, it’s how some people are misusing it that’s the problem. And that’s what calli’s good for; it lets you guard against that” (274). Opponents to calli argue that the problem is rooted in human attitudes and flaws. Removing the distinctions of physical appearance don’t address the deepest issues, which will always be present.
Absent from this story is the opinion of Christians. Let’s take that as an invitation to become participants in the documentary and share what we understand to be a biblical perspective. We know God created the world and called it good. Therefore, we needn’t fear the beauty of creation. Rather, we ask God to shape our minds and hearts so that we view all beauty with the right perspective. When we look at other humans, we find beauty not only in their faces but also in their whole being as imago Dei. We can delight in our different ways of being God’s creation. The temptation to envy someone else because of their physical appearance is always present. But that’s the tip of the iceberg of what we might envy. Even if we could adjust our minds to be “agnosiac,” we would never reach the end of things we might envy.
The problem is within us, in our fallen, sinful nature. The opponents of calli were right to question it, but they stopped short of diagnosing the root and prescribing the solution. In our own power, we can’t train ourselves out of looking wrongly at certain parts of the creation. Only with the power of the Holy Spirit can we learn to see people as God sees them. God doesn’t call us to uniformity in physical appearance nor to limit our ability to perceive his creation; rather, he invites us to draw near to him, that we might learn to see the creation with love and gratitude. Let us not put more veils over our faces, blinding us to the beauty of God’s creation and the glory of God himself. Rather, as the apostle Paul writes, we are to be “transformed into the same image, from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18).
Questions:
- Read Psalm 34:5 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. We sometimes talk about a “radiant” face or “glorious” beauty. What does the Bible teach us about the true source of radiance and glory?
- Do you struggle to look at other people appropriately? What steps can you take to develop a way of regarding people that communicates the love of Christ rather than envy or selfishness?
- Do you struggle with how you think people look at you? How might you draw near to God, through prayer, Bible study, and fellowship with trusted Christian friends and family, so that you can begin to let go of your fears of how people see you?
- With the guidance of a concordance or an online search tool, read a selection of other passages in the Bible that talk about beauty. What do you learn about God’s perspective on beauty in his creation and among his people?
For more devotionals in this series, click here.
About the Contributors
Neil R. Coulter
Neil R. Coulter completed degrees in music performance and ethnomusicology from Wheaton College and Kent State University. He and his family lived in Papua New Guinea for twelve years, where Neil served as an ethnomusicology and arts consultant for Wycliffe Bible Translators. In 2015, he helped design and launch the PhD in World Arts at Dallas International University. He teaches doctoral courses in theory and ethnography at DIU’s Center for Excellence in World Arts. At DTS, he teaches about art, literature, film, and theology, and he is senior writer and editor of DTS Magazine. Neil is married to Joyce, and they have three sons.
Contributors
