Beauty is a necessity, not a luxury. …without beauty, the duties prove too hard and, eventually, seem pointless. 

Charles Klamut

Why is it that we feel happier when we’re in the presence of beauty? And why do drab or utilitarian surroundings make us feel sort of listless or depressed, or even agitated? We instinctively respond to beauty, just as we keenly, if unconsciously, sense it’s absence. 

An interesting intellectual exercise might be to consider the current epidemic of unhappiness and boredom in our world, and see if there might be some correlation with the various environments we’ve created for ourselves. How do you feel when you walk into your office building to go to work? When you drive through your neighborhood? Have you looked at a school building lately? Do we even need to mention the assault on our eyes and ears when we turn on the TV or our computer?

Now, we’re not suggesting there’s direct causation here, but it might be worth pondering if there might be some relationship between what’s going on inside us and what we see and hear around us on a daily basis. How can there not be? 

This article from the “The Imaginative Conservative” reminds us that beauty is a necessary component for a happy life. 

Beauty: A Necessity, Not a Luxury