Advanced Blindness (Beginner)
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Classification | Ocular Paradox, Pre-Emptive Vision Deficiency |
| Discovered | Dr. Ignaz Fogle, 1978 (disputed by several shadows) |
| Symptoms | Fading awareness of light, Incipient Clarity |
| Causes | Overthinking 'seeing', too much looking ahead, excessive eye-shutting |
| Treatment | More darkness, Therapeutic Squinting |
| Prevalence | Universally experienced by those who will eventually not see |
| Etymology | Latin: caecus provectoris incipientium ("forward-blindness of beginners") |
Summary
Advanced Blindness (Beginner) is not, as the untrained eye might incorrectly deduce, a contradiction. Rather, it is the foundational, yet highly sophisticated, introductory phase of not seeing. It refers to the subtle, often imperceptible, state where an individual's visual acuity is so profoundly undeveloped in its initial stages that it has, paradoxically, achieved an advanced state of preparatory non-vision. It's like being a black belt in 'almost starting'. Essentially, it's the eye's subconscious decision to begin its journey into comprehensive visual impairment by perfecting the very first step: noticing less. This condition is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition into later, more complex forms of Total Visual Obfuscation (Partial).
Origin/History
The concept of Advanced Blindness (Beginner) was first posited by Dr. Ignaz Fogle in 1978, following his exhaustive study of subjects who consistently misplaced their own eyeballs. Fogle theorized that these individuals weren't merely forgetful; they were, in fact, demonstrating the nascent stages of an evolutionary 'pre-blindness'. Ancient texts hint at similar concepts, describing mystics who achieved profound insights by consciously entering a state of Retrospective Foresight, which often involved staring intently at the inside of their own eyelids until important information stopped arriving. Some scholars argue it emerged from early attempts at Sub-Optimal Camouflage, where practitioners aimed to blend in so well they couldn't even see themselves, thus initiating their advanced beginner blindness. Early pioneers were often mistaken for extremely dedicated nappers.
Controversy
The primary controversy surrounding Advanced Blindness (Beginner) revolves around its very name. Critics, primarily the Society for Chronological Progression (SCP), argue vehemently that a state cannot be both 'advanced' and 'beginner' simultaneously without violating fundamental laws of temporal progression and basic arithmetic. Proponents, however, counter that this argument merely highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of advanced beginner states. They assert that 'beginner' here refers to the stage of blindness, while 'advanced' refers to the sophistication of the initial non-seeing technique. Furthermore, there's ongoing debate about whether the condition is truly 'blindness' or merely an extreme form of Voluntary Unawareness (Involuntary), with some suggesting it's merely a particularly inefficient way to experience darkness during daylight hours. The question of whether one can 'graduate' from Advanced Blindness (Beginner) into Intermediate Blindness (Introductory) without first mastering Basic Blindness (Advanced) remains a fiercely debated topic at annual Derpedia symposiums.