Why Beauty Matters.

No.060 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

In our search for why beauty matters, we discovered an inspiring documentary by Sir Roger Scruton, who dedicated his life to encouraging people to seek out beauty.

For 2,000 years humans have pursued beauty—in art, in architecture, and in shaping the human environment in general.

This changed in the 20th century.
Art and architecture turned its back on beauty.

Architecture only focussed on usefulness and started seeing ornamentation as a crime.

We are now living in a cult of ugliness.

It is so omnipresent that we are unaware of how it crushes our souls.

False facades.
Fake Interiors.
Sterile condominiums.

On the other hand, most of us have experienced time slow down—maybe while walking in nature, listening to music, or standing in the Sistine Chapel, admiring its ceiling.

Though the feeling fades, it leaves a lasting impression and a longing to return.

This is the experience of beauty.
We are all thirsty for this rendezvous with our deepest selves.

Beauty is not a subjective thing, it is one of our deepest needs.
It is our shared language.

According to legend, Xerxes, the king of Persia, paused his army for days during the war, just to admire a sycamore tree, showing that even he could not resist the allure of beauty.

We cannot ignore beauty.

Beauty brings us joy.
It nourishes our souls.
It makes us feel at home.

Beauty influences our mental and emotional states.

Culturally, beauty plays a pivotal role in shaping our identities and values.

Plato and Aristotle emphasized the importance of beauty in understanding the nature of existence and truth. For them, beauty was not merely a superficial quality but a reflection of a deeper order and harmony within the universe

This is an open call to seek beauty in our everyday lives —
from the serenity of nature to the harmony of traditional architecture.

Embracing beauty in its various forms can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves.

This pursuit of beauty can inspire creativity, innovation, and a sense of responsibility towards our environment and fellow beings.

Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet summarised it well,
“Beauty is the only thing that matters in life.”

When was the last time you were overwhelmed with beauty?
Reply to this email.

Love,

Raghav and Ansh

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What you can watch -  Why Beauty Matters

Roger Scruton’s documentary Why Beauty Matters is a valuable look at why beauty is essential in our lives.

What you can listen to - Dana Gioia - "Why Beauty Matters" (Talk on art, beauty, and spirituality)

In this talk, Dana discusses the philosophy of beauty, why beauty matters in art, and the role of beauty in culture and intellectual thinking.

What You Can Read - The Architecture of Happiness by Alain De Botton

Now he turns his attention to one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs: with our houses and their furnishings. He asks: What makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures - and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved? Will minimalism make us happier than ornaments?

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