are we all Matilda?
Matilda told such dreadful lies
It made one gasp and stretch one's eyes...'
[Hilaire Belloc]
Last week my right eyelid was swollen and drooped over the eye (my sight, fortunately, was fine just obscured). Curious. Plantain and turmeric poultice applied under a patch. Right eye got a rest.
So my other eye was 'single'.
And it prompted two 'in-sights'..
how much my gaze online is pulled towards speculating on the merely human or ai-related or ai-generated (the latter of which I've got caught twice now on mistaking for the 'real' thing). In all cases I'm ignoring the more-than-human and elemental.
how much of our vocabulary and world relates to sight: 'speculation', 'insight' 'I look forward to..' etc... See what I mean?!
And I think - but may be wrong - ai relies mainly on 'visually' communicated code and language?
After an hour's ai-related doom-scrolling (largely via Diary of a DOAC) the night before, hooked by click-bait titles, I felt all this speculating is short-sighted. On switching off, a question arose:
Is there wisdom or foolishness in the phrase 'Love is blind'?
Am I a 'Matilda' and does what I think is stretching my eyes actually strain them? Does narrowing my focus on human and technology-centred speculating make me 'love blind'?
Is my gaze being directed by 'Matildas' who wish me to gasp and stretch my eyes? Do I tell stories that embellish or exaggerate just to hold your gaze a little longer?
The dull of the pheasant hen's dress is almost invisible in the brown stubble of the field. It begs me widen my gaze away from the screen and listen to nature's voice. [Context: pheasants are my current focus in writing The Book.]
May be I can see beyond the lies and explore 'love light' rather than 'screen-glare'?
p.s. For the concerned, the plantain and turmeric did the job - my eye recovered within 24 hrs.
#insight #hypocrisy #ai #eyes