I took it for granted that everybody wished to live in a nice house within a nice neighbourthood, because I thought that everybody craved beauty.
But I had a discussion about this with some people, and I was surprised to find out that quite a few people actually do not give a damn about the esthetics of their daily surrounding. This changes my way of understanding people, because as I thought that the search for beauty was universal among human beings, I also thought that people who lived in ugly places either had no taste/sense or were really too poored or lazy to try to improve them.
I still do not understand why some people 'cannot care'. Personally, it makes me sick and depressed to see ugly houses (the exterior as much as the interior). All I want to do is bulldozed them and rebuild something more beautiful. I have often wished that I (or someone else, or an assocaition) would have enough money to rebuild a city like Rome in its heydays.
Restoring beautiful, but rundown neighbourhood would be one of the first thing I would do if I won, say 100 million euro at the lottery. Naturally it is not wasted money as a restored house can be sold for more afterwards.
Another vital thing is harmony. I have seen neighbourhood with nice houses, but built in such different styles that it was disturbing.
One of the top 5 reasons for which I couldn't stay longer than a few years in Japan was that the city architecture was too ugly, and the urban planning was disastrous (I also couldn't help complaining about it on a nearly daily basis). For me, a nice environment is as essential as eating good food or feeling secure. I would happily trade my voting right (even my citizenship), or the cosiness of my house if it was to make it more pleasing for the eyes. I can live with few friends, but I couldn't live in a world without beauty (I din't know how the Japanese manage to survive, psychologically).
I realised how irritating and depressing it was for me to live in an ugly city or neighbourhood. On the contrary, it cheers me up when I see a masterpiece of architecture, which is partly why I like travelling so much. I can be in a state of ecstasy just by standing in front of some majestic (neo)classical monuments.
This is partly why I feel so strongly about punishing vandals, especially those who disfigure beautiful historic building with graffiti. For me vandalism against a beautiful historic building feels as painful as being kicked or punched by someone. Destroying completely such a building would feel like being beaten by a gang of thugs.
I knew that I felt a bit stronger than average about the beauty of architecture or sculpure, but it really baffled me that some people with enough financial means would deliberately choose to live in an ugly house and neighbourhood.
I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I am too "visual", because I feel less strongly about painting. Maybe it has to be 3-dimensional (the more sculptures and mouldings the better), built with "noble materials" (I hate concrete), and on a scale big enough to fill one's field of vision.
Nevertheless, I am certainly more visual than sensual, as I hate massages and don't care much about a confortable sofa or chair. I am pretty auditory too, as I can also feel in complete ecstasy with classical music (none else), but I guess that feeling strongly about music (type varying according to the personality) is fairly universal - or am I mistaken again ? Yet I do not miss music when it isn't there, while I would always miss beautiful architecture and decoration.
How do you feel about this ?
But I had a discussion about this with some people, and I was surprised to find out that quite a few people actually do not give a damn about the esthetics of their daily surrounding. This changes my way of understanding people, because as I thought that the search for beauty was universal among human beings, I also thought that people who lived in ugly places either had no taste/sense or were really too poored or lazy to try to improve them.
I still do not understand why some people 'cannot care'. Personally, it makes me sick and depressed to see ugly houses (the exterior as much as the interior). All I want to do is bulldozed them and rebuild something more beautiful. I have often wished that I (or someone else, or an assocaition) would have enough money to rebuild a city like Rome in its heydays.
Restoring beautiful, but rundown neighbourhood would be one of the first thing I would do if I won, say 100 million euro at the lottery. Naturally it is not wasted money as a restored house can be sold for more afterwards.
Another vital thing is harmony. I have seen neighbourhood with nice houses, but built in such different styles that it was disturbing.
One of the top 5 reasons for which I couldn't stay longer than a few years in Japan was that the city architecture was too ugly, and the urban planning was disastrous (I also couldn't help complaining about it on a nearly daily basis). For me, a nice environment is as essential as eating good food or feeling secure. I would happily trade my voting right (even my citizenship), or the cosiness of my house if it was to make it more pleasing for the eyes. I can live with few friends, but I couldn't live in a world without beauty (I din't know how the Japanese manage to survive, psychologically).
I realised how irritating and depressing it was for me to live in an ugly city or neighbourhood. On the contrary, it cheers me up when I see a masterpiece of architecture, which is partly why I like travelling so much. I can be in a state of ecstasy just by standing in front of some majestic (neo)classical monuments.
This is partly why I feel so strongly about punishing vandals, especially those who disfigure beautiful historic building with graffiti. For me vandalism against a beautiful historic building feels as painful as being kicked or punched by someone. Destroying completely such a building would feel like being beaten by a gang of thugs.
I knew that I felt a bit stronger than average about the beauty of architecture or sculpure, but it really baffled me that some people with enough financial means would deliberately choose to live in an ugly house and neighbourhood.
I don't know if it has to do with the fact that I am too "visual", because I feel less strongly about painting. Maybe it has to be 3-dimensional (the more sculptures and mouldings the better), built with "noble materials" (I hate concrete), and on a scale big enough to fill one's field of vision.
Nevertheless, I am certainly more visual than sensual, as I hate massages and don't care much about a confortable sofa or chair. I am pretty auditory too, as I can also feel in complete ecstasy with classical music (none else), but I guess that feeling strongly about music (type varying according to the personality) is fairly universal - or am I mistaken again ? Yet I do not miss music when it isn't there, while I would always miss beautiful architecture and decoration.
How do you feel about this ?