Optics
How something looks, as distinct from what it is. 'The optics are bad' means the substance may be fine but the appearance is radioactive. Decisions die of optics that would have survived on merits.
Heard in the wild
“An executive offsite in Hawaii during layoffs — the optics are fatal.”
Tone check: Euphemism
Dismissing optics is naive; worshipping them is hollow. The word marks where perception outvotes fact.