EYEGLASSES

You are with your beloved and now's the time. You tell her you love her and she, with a tender smile on her face responds in kind. Your heart soars; she loves you, what else is important in the world? But, a thought intrudes. Shall you use the glasses? She has avowed her love for you, why check but establishing the certainty of her love is not such a bad idea.

Out come the glasses. “Oh, how odd looking they are and there is a wire that leads into your coat.” As she speaks, you slip them on and to your horror, you find distaste on her face. “Dearest, tell me again how you love me.” She responds, “Of course, I love you with all my heart.” But the glasses tell a different story. There is distaste and contempt. All she wants you for is your money is the only reasonable conclusion.

What is this? What sort of magic glasses are these? Well, as She-who-must-be-obeyed said, magic is just another word for ignorance and they are simply a technological marvel. The line leading under your coat is attached to a power supply and a small computer that holds information about facial reactions. The glasses can read minute facial changes that tell of inner feelings. A surface smile may mask an inner scowl undetectable by the unaided eye and expose the person's core attitudes.

Well, it's a cool idea but is it real? Yep, it's as real as a slap in the face because that is likely how the revealed knowledge might feel. And, it works in reverse. Approaching a man who seems cool a distance, one might learn he is eager to meet you but is a bit shy and probably would respond to a bit of friendly prodding. Technology would support a new romance that might never have blossomed.

Such glasses are already in production, though I don't know by whom and how much they might cost. I can't imagine they would be cheap, perhaps they will be so expensive that only the wealthy, either private or governmental can afford them but wouldn't you like a pair? Think of how much your life would improve with awareness of someone's private feelings. Suppose, for example you are negotiating for a car. You have rejected the first bid but the salesperson insists you could not possibly refuse the second. It is a rock bottom price only because she likes you and he will have to convince the manager and blah, blah blah. You are sorely tempted to close on the spot but instead, out come the glasses and there it is on her face as if in capital letters: WHAT A SUCKER!

Clearly, you would not always want to know the truth. Imagine your doctor smiling as she reassures you that the lab reports are fine. But, with the glasses you see worry. What the devil is bugging her? Is it something about you or is about some personal problem and worse, how can you find out? Or, think about a date in which she has bored you flat. You will not see her again, but the glasses tell you she wants you. You are faced with rejecting her and causing pain or seeing her again and feeling pain. Better not to know.

Think of all the times people who can help have stated they will get right on your problem and if you read their faces you see sincerity, but through the eyeglasses you see indifference or rejection. Is it your trusted advisor? Ugly thought.

What do you do after an officer stops you and approaches wearing the glasses? Well, there is no point in lying about why you were speeding but she will no doubt observe the rage in your heart about her stopping you. Do you want her to know that while she writes the ticket? Criminals will be the losers during interrogations. We will be the losers while trying to gain whatever advantage there might be in a proposed deal. Is it possible that we all would become more honest? A terrifying thought.

There once was a fellow, Ignatius

Who was always and ever so gracious.

With artful device

He'd always speak nice

Though his hatred would be so vexatious.