I went to a party recently where I spyed an unusual young man standing in the corner of the room. He had no one to talk to, blinked rapidly and wore a serene expression on his face. I was concerned immediately and couldn't stop watching him. Amongst the loud chatter, deafening music and obscene dance moves he possessed a power few of us are capable of, invisibility.
His problem (or advantage) it seems, was his ugliness. I watched him all night, marvelling in the way he was totally unaffected by his bustling surroundings, still blinking rapidly and hovering in the corner. Suddenly he was gone, and not one person noticed. That evening I came to the conclusion that he was the most interesting person in the room.
"... To assemble material for a history of ugliness is funnier than to make a history of beauty, because beauty is, in some way, boring. Even if its concept changes through the ages, nevertheless, a beautiful object must always follow certain rules. A beautiful nose should be no longer or shorter than any given measure. On the contrary, an ugly nose can be as long as the one of Pinocchio, as big as the trunk of an elephant, or like the beak of an eagle, and so on. Ugliness is unpredictable, and offers an infinite range of possibilities."
- Umberto Eco
J̷̤͖̳͚̠́̔́o̶̥͙͉͕̳̟͋͒́̈́̏̓̈͘̕s̵̢̬͔͎͖̯̰̪̽͊̀̍͝ē̴̡̤̦̑͂͗̊̀̍p̷̨̱̰͍̞̀̊̓̑͑̐̚͜͝h̸͈͉̉͜ ̵̧̫̙̞̪̫̎̾̋̌̍̏́͜P̸͍̮̆͐̍̽̊͗̾ö̸̗͍̞̙̫̭̠̦́̃̑̕ͅr̸͇̮̳̣̝͇͉̭̪͙͑t̶͎̥̫̩̫͚̱̀̔̎́̄̚ͅȩ̶̟̌̔͛͆͘̚r̷̺̺̭̪͔͇͑ͅ,̶̟̦̩̻̝̯̭̳͌́́͛́͘͠ ̸̡̡̧̙͎̹̼̤͎̿̀̉̓̋̾̕͜J̵̢͎͙̲̰̤̜͈̘̉̆͌̄͒̕͝ò̶͖͍̪̈̓̌͑̿̄̚e̴̖̩̼͍̙̜̘͋̌̉̎͐̈́ ̵̦̠͉̘̓̄́̒̓̃́̈̓̉P̸͔̗̜͒͒̀̄͝ͅo̴̯̝̒̽r̷̟͒̒̄̑̈t̷̝́̄̏̾̏e̷͖̟̣̞̙̤͕̅̾̕͜r̶̨̳̬̼̺̲̠̆̈́̂̒̉͒͛̿̂̕ ̴̰̦̲̥̼̌̈̄́̈́̇̀͘͝C̴̛̩̲̜͍̗͉̰͓̐͜ͅh̶̗͎͓̣͍̖̝̻́͆͊͒͂͜͠ī̷̺͓̈̎̆́̌͂̓͊c̵̯̻͛̍̓̓̀̆͋̚a̷͎͉͌ͅģ̵͕͂͆̉̊̅̈́̆̀ǫ̴͎͖̜̾̓̇͝ ̶͇̳̩͖̬͔̲͎͋͊̀͗̐́͝͝͝M̴͍͕̿̽͗̈̿́̅̇̊̑t̶̨̻̤̟͙̤͈̭̓̋̈̃̄̑́̚.̷̦́̒̂̎̀̚͠ ̴̦͇̹͐̓̒̂ͅG̶̡̘͔͎̖̯̯̞̩͖͂r̷͍̰͑̕̚͠ḙ̷̢̛̠̼̹̝̲̩͖͐̈́͒̈́̈́̕͝e̸̦̜̙̿̊̈̈́̀̆͘n̸̨̙͇͖͔͉̓͋̒͊͐ŵ̶̥͚̹̙̲̹̏̀̉͋̿ó̷̭̞̺̹͘ȯ̵̺̋̉̄͆͊̽̊̽͂ḍ̷̡̯͕̩̔͂ ̴̫̤̣̯̪̭̪̻́̊̔̒̆̍̐̀̚͠B̶͙͓̹͔͎̤̺̹̪́̾̂͘ę̸̩͆̽̿̔̃͜ͅv̸̝̯͍̱̲̘̥̣́͝ͅe̴̟̬͍͉̫̲͌͛̑͜ṛ̴̜̰̜̰̈́͊̿͘ͅl̵̡̞͉̦̖̳̫̩̓͐͑͛͘̚͜y̴̡̧̳͈̫̦̳̻̣͑̂̊̎̌̅̓̈́͆̈́ ̵̱́h̴̡̠̠̭̙̜̾͑̕͘ą̶͕̜̫̼͖̲͒̿̋̊̓͂͠͠r̶͉̈́̏̓̾͂́̈́̐̊â̶̢̺͖̺͗̿͘͝s̵̺̺̳̱̈́͂̄̌̓̅̕ͅs̶͍̮͙̎i̷̢̜̰̳̞͓̖͔͕̚ǹ̶͇͚̥̖͉̱͛̉̓́͋͘͝g̵͈̱̱̯͕̻̳̠̙͈̽ ̶̧̧̣͚̘̤̜̩́̋͐̀̉̓͝͠i̶̟̤͚̝̅̅̿͘ͅṋ̶̢͉͚̜̈̔͐̕̕ç̸͚͎͖̼͌̐͠ḙ̵̠̳̈́̈̽̽̌̈́͊̕ļ̶̖̽̉ ̵̪̖̣̥̣̆̐͒̏̓͒͠ç̷̡͇̣̹̭̤͇̼̓̽͆̎͘ÿ̴̨̨̜̜̫͙́͋̃̊̂͒͛́͜b̵̦̘̫̥̝̬͚̪̒̀̈̀̑̾͂̅̆ë̴̻̗̻̦̪̮͐̌̍͛̓̅̆͘r̷̩̓͋̚s̵̢̨͉̦̫̼̪̉̔͛ẗ̶̯̲̱͙͚͇̩́̾͌̏̌̍͗̇̿ͅą̴͈̗̩̤̪̮͓̋̅̏ͅͅl̶̢͕̪̺̝̖̼̥͓̅̀̄͜k̷͍̀̌́̽ǐ̵̗̩̤̐͋́̌n̷̺̟̳̘̱͠g̴͍̘͙̜̞͑̓̒͐ ̶͙̲͒́̍̚̕͝s̶̖͇̐̽͂͑̎̚ȩ̶̣̣̜̖͍̥̻̓n̴̥̜̲̜̫͒d̴̛̝̿͋̀̌̓ṡ̶̳̉͗̉̽͊͗̃ ̶̖̞͎̯̳̜͑͊̈́͗̊̈́͂̕͘m̴̨̤͍̣͊̐̑̃ȩ̵̩̰͎̯̄̿̈́̈́͛͌͒̾̽ ̴̨̰͓̱͒͂̊͠ͅȕ̷̘͔̖̻̯̭n̷̡̡̥̭͙͖͍̟̓͊͝s̴̥͇͚͗͑̋̎̇̕͝o̵͎͖̘̘̙̾̇͆̂͘l̴̹̥̳̲͇̏̈́̇͐̒͝i̸̢̦̮̺̲͓̗̤̻̣̕c̸̥̀̈́̍͛̅͊͂̈́i̸͕̋͊ţ̴̜͙͎̟̼̮̅͗̄̍̂͋̑̒̽̈́ę̵̲̗̝͔̻͔̹̈́̈́͑͋̾̑̆ͅd̵̞͕̦̗̰̭̑ ̸͚̯̣͈͚̗̝̰̖̞̑͒̽̿̈́̌͊́͘d̵̨̠̯̹̫͇͉͈̣̼̍͐͆̂̑̏ḭ̶̧̳̱̠̒͂̐̎͋̽̈͜͠͠c̸̹̀̍͒̀̾͗̾̂̔k̴̨̭̳͇̤̰͆́̒̀̉͒̆͝ ̶̛̟̺̮̼̳̤͓̗͒̔̆ͅp̴̭͎͎̮̞̥̭͋̕͘i̸̲̰̣̞̟̮̺̼̅̂̍̏̽̒̾̐̌ĉ̶̡̛̤̍̓̕k̷̰̻̤̖͋ṣ̸̨̘͈͖̖̋̏̽̉̐͝ ̸̱̲̖̓s̵͔̫̙̳̥̱̯͈̺̈́i̵̳͙͉̪̪͋ͅņ̵̡̨̦͓̗̖͉̈̃̿̿́̊̋̅̈́c̸̗̫̱̳͓̘̊e̴̺̦̣̖̮̘̘̖͓͒͆͛̂̿͛͌ ̵͕͚̣̦̋́2̸̢̼́͒0̸̛͔̜͛͒̓̀̇͛̆͛͐1̴̺̳̼̈́̌̾͑͋̄̋͝5̶͚͈̐͘ ̷̘̒̿̽͐͌͝ă̸͈̞͎̪͒̈́̌̈́͗̏n̵̡̧̨͉̙̪͚̮̼̎̈̓́͜d̷̜̿ ̷̨̹͌͒̀͛͠͝d̵̰̐̿̅̿͌̈́͋̈̀̚ȩ̵̢̪̠̟̫͋͌͂̿̓͌ͅͅa̸̼̝̞̮̼͇̗͖͒͊̍͑́͌̅ͅt̴̨̼̭̞̲͈̞̀͛̓͌̐͋̚h̵͕̖͈͔̲́̇̄̏̈́̒̾̆͘ ̸̡̞͍͖̥̤̞̲͉͌͌̏͐͘t̷̢̢̨̹̰̫͔̱̄͋̈̑͊̾̾͊͑h̷̢̫̗̮̿̀͛̈́̋̀͜r̸̡͈̙̹̠͛̂̉̏̈́͜͠͝e̵̱̩̫͎̊́̒a̴̜͖̹̗̮͗t̸̫͉͇̯͉̟̻͒͒͋͜͜ͅs̷̹̈́̾̿̄̄̀̍͝ ̶̖̱͉̝̔̉͋̾̄̕̕͜a̷͇̞̰̝̫͌̃͂͂̈́̎n̶̢̛͎̠̞̣̜̗̪͙͈̽̾̋̋̕d̵͎̜̅ ̵͎̖̠̺̆͌̈̍̓̓̏̅͘i̴̧̹͎̫̯̩̠͐͑̓͌́̎̒̂͘͝s̴͉͓̆̆̃͆̉͠ ̵͙̺̋́̾̏̃̕͜t̴̜̲̆̽̓h̷̺͉̟̯͔̀͐͂͂͋͆́͊͝r̸̡͙̼̪̭̜͓̉͊̇͗͊̈́͊͊e̷̢̲̥̼̱̻͇̍̋͐͂͋̍̅̈́͂͜a̵̢̧̳͉͈̹̰͔̹̍̊ẗ̷̖̼̬̰̞͙́̐̎͘͜͝ë̴͚͕̠̳͉̫̺̻́̎́͛̕n̶̢̼͉͎͍̖͙̞̂̓̊̈̓ͅī̵̡̼̠̟͍͙͈̉͋͒͝n̵̛̛̬͚̔̔̈͒̈͒̓̅ͅǧ̵̨͈̫̔̈̊̾͒͜͜ ̴̛͙͍͚̙͕͛͋̂̚o̵̢̱̲̝̫̥͓̳̊t̶͈̩̣̦̱̝̜̲͈͕̐̌̈́h̸͈̃e̴͈̯̼̪̤̦̊̇̒̽ͅŗ̵̨̛̥̪̣̱̰̥͎̽͗̈́̆͌̓̂̀͋ ̷̞̟͑̅̏̔́͂͛͘͝p̶̰͕̬͕̏͋͒́̋̎͘͜ȇ̸̻̈͛̑̍ö̸͔̺̦̲̠̯͕̻̹̇p̴̧̨̡̱̣̝͎̯̖̋̇͊̌̈͘͘̕͝͝ͅl̵̛̗̻͖̓͛̑̅̔̂̒͠e̴̦̦̺̾͋̓ ̷̲̼̙̙̠̅́̀̃͗̔̊́̕͜ą̴̼̫̬̪̥̱̙̦̌̇̓̉͜s̵̙̺̔͊̉̇̿͂͝ ̴͙̖̦̪͇̪̟̰̳̌̂̄͘̕w̴̯͍̩̥͂͗͠e̷̯͙̘̦̔̃ļ̴̨̜̠̝̟͎̬̪̖͗͊̏̐̕͝l̵͇̘͍̰̗̟̫͚̔ ̶̱͉͈̞̓̔ŝ̶̤͚̱̓͐̈́̚̚c̴̢̛̮̯̗̩͚̼͙͋̐̽̿̀̍͌̚͝a̶̢̯̞̯̫̲͕͛̋̇̿͋r̷̢̤͓̩̲͐͑̈́̉̑ỳ̷̠͓̺̺̮͔̋̽͛̍̎͠͠ ̸͍̪̰̮̹̙͍̊̏͛̅͂̑̔͠į̵͓̜̙̫̔̄̓̀͒ͅn̷̮̬͂͑̋c̵̢͎͖̑̿̐͊̅̀͘ě̴̮̳͚̼̥̙̟̱͙͋͂̌̈́̒͌́̕l̶͕͍͐͗̑̅͐̕͘͝ ̵̡̢͓͍̪̤͓͌̒̈̓́̅̍̄̔a̴͖͚͈̐̍̈͘v̸̛͔͈͚̥͖̣͋́̉́̉ó̶̟͐̓́̈́i̵͉͈͘d̶̢̢̛̹̼̤̗̼̞̺̃̾ ̴̢̨̲̤̩̯̟͑̂̓̓̆̀̓͐̉̀͜h̵̛̳̠̹̗͔̼̍̏̂͌̊̑̈́̃͆i̵̡̮̱͇̠̓m̶̹͚̌͌̂̏̈́̊͠ ̶̜̖̩̙̮̲̅͗0̴͙͗͑̿͐͗̓3̵̩̼͓̿̓̓̒̈́̊̈͠͝͝/̶̛̺̗̺̗̥̎̆̀͊͑̿́͝1̶̫̦͉̲̮͈͉̘́̉͌̊͗̈̆͜͝9̴̰̻̪̝͔̔͒̓̽̎/̶̥͉̳̠͖̮̌̃̉̈́̈́̀́̊̾1̵͔̟̱̌̾̈́͑͑̊̏͐͘͝9̷̧̛̼͓͕̼̤̥̜͓̤̌̈́͌̋̃8̵̺̹͆0̸͙̝̘̣̦͙̗̃̈̈́̔̐̒͊͛͝ͅ ̸̨̣̞̻̙̼̖͚̙͎̍̀͛̾͋̋̓͗͝p̵̡̙̰͕͎͍̌̊̔́͗̀͘͠s̴̡̮̦͇̩̺̅̐́͑͛̚y̴̲̺̼̱̦͔̲̼͋́͛͐̍̎͘ç̵͍̞̼̜̯͉̱̻̉͆̈́́̀̈́́́̕h̷̩̲̾̕͝ö̷̡̨̰́͘͝ ̴͈̣̻̠͖͖͛̾̀̾̑̾̆͜ŝ̵͈͕̮̲̙͕̗͔̅͐̉̓̍͒̚͘ͅt̵̝̗̯̹̲̩̯̝͇͇͂a̷̬̘͔̼̥̥͙̓̀̈́̓͘͜͝͝͝ͅͅl̴̛̥̙̻̯̗͚ḱ̸͎̟͉͚̂͘è̴̛̯͉̖͖̼͕̯̖̃̓͐͐̇͜r̶̥̟̈́̇ ̷̧̨͈̜͍̻͆̎̈́́̏̓̋̚͘p̵̰̹̟͈̝̏͂ë̴̪̼̹́̽̈́͆̈̓̕̕̚t̷̖͎̜́̍̍̔̐̾̋͋͑̕i̸̫̜̼̯̼̼͈̦̅̓t̶̨̜͇̔̓̀̈́̈͂̏ì̸̢̢͓̺̠̜̳͕͊ő̶̢̹͙̮̌̽̊̃͠ͅn̵̳͖͈̬̈͒̾͒
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