In regards to politics, "optics" refers to how an individual, group, or movement is percieved by the public. The use of optics as a political strategy is uniquely transparent In hate movements, particularly white nationalists and the so-called "Groypers", who promote cohesive optics as an method of normalizing their beliefs behind a curated aesthetic and the use of dogwhistles. This is often framed specifically as alternative to violent direct action celebrated by other white nationalist movements.