In response to Andy Martin’s blog in the New York Times, “The Phenomenology of Ugly: Sartre’s traumatic haircut and why ugliness may be indispensable to philosophy” where he talks about how Sartre believed serious, sustained questioning — arises out of, or perhaps with, a consciousness of one’s own ugliness, I wrote:
Perhaps your observations about the importance of being ugly are due the fact that others are attracted to people who have suffered, who seem authentic. Beautiful people, like Marilyn Monroe, surely suffer, but it is not as visible, not etched on their faces or in their confident looking walk. I relate to Sartre’s self-criticism because I do something similar myself when meeting new people. I almost apologize for not being a fully functioning person, trying to hint at my loss without overwhelming them with it, because I am like Sartre after his hair cut, not used to being so diminished. READ MORE
