Strive for Beauty

Why do modern homes look so ugly compared to the houses that were built generations ago? Our taste as humans in: architecture, software, cuisine, literature, and perhaps even fashion, seems to be degrading in some respects as time goes on. Why must it be so?

Should we not, with the advancement of technology, acquire more taste? We have access to more information than we could ever need. Knowledge of history, art, stories, and cultures are available at the palm of our hands. So why is it that we must toil so much before beautiful things can come to fruition? Why can’t our streets look beautiful? Why can’t our software be reliable, elegant, and useful?

My guess might be as good as anyone else’s, but I think I might know why.

Conformity and comfort.

We live in an age where these two virtues are rewarded more than almost anything else. This might partly be a consequence of the economic structures we have built. These structures are useful and powerful, in fact the most powerful ever made in the history of man kind, but they are not perfect(because humans are not perfect, but that is a topic for another day). Yet I believe the problem runs deeper than economics or systems. It is something deeply rooted and fundamental.

Our souls seem to have lost the desire to aspire to beauty and excellence. Our dopamine-filled minds take longer to perceive beauty, let alone to pursue it, create it, or replicate it.

As we enter this new age of AI and rapid technological advancement, we must remember something fundamental about what it means to be human: we have the ability to create beautiful things. We have the capacity to pursue excellence, greatness, and meaning.

And if we are not careful, our very souls, the same souls capable of recognizing and appreciating beauty, may slowly degrade, until we find ourselves in an abyss from which we may not be able to crawl back from.

All of these thoughts came from a post I saw on Instagram by [Alex de Gomez], in which she was looking at houses that had been remodeled. It genuinely hurts to see the trajectory we seem to be taking as humans. And this isn’t limited to modern architecture. I see it in literature, movies, fashion, software, and countless other areas of life.

And yet, I still believe in human creativity and excellence.

I believe this capacity was instilled in us by God Himself, because we are made in His image. To create, to cultivate, to imagine, to build, and to seek beauty are, in some small way, reflections of God.

So as we enter this new age of uncertainty, perhaps our task is not simply to become more efficient, more comfortable, or more technologically advanced.

Perhaps our task is to strive for the beautiful.

I will leave with this passage from Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”

And as the Scriptures tell us, we are not to be mere listeners of the Word, but also doers thereof. We must pursue and strive for such things, not only admire beauty and excellence from afar, but cultivate them in the things we create, the places we inhabit and the very essence of the lives we live.