@QuestionOverflow (continue discussing question) the problem is the appearance can be even abstract. For example, 他写了十年程序,看上去很有经验。He has been programming for ten years and looks experienced. Do you really see something with your eyes?
It would be yes: if you had been working with him, and actually saw "how he worked" and "what he had done" those years. It would be no: you just hear of that, and maybe reconstruct some scene in your mind and then you say "看上去很有经验".
@Stan 刚刚才看见你的留言。。。个人还是认为要看得见才能用【看上去】来表达客观性的看法。依你那个例子,用【 看来】会比较恰当。如果要用【看上去】,我会这么用:他西装笔挺,看上去像个生意人。如果要用【看起来】,我会这么用:他看起来一脸若无其事的样子,实际上心里比谁都难过。【看起来】似乎带有较主观性的看法。I agree with @perfectionm1ng that different people may use the language differently, I am not a linguist, so I am just commenting based on my personal experience. Language is quite dynamic, so the usage of certain phrases may change over time and it can be difficult to get a consensus for certain questions. But that's fine :)