I’ve been thinking a lot about aesthetics lately. It’s something I often write off as shallow and unimportant, in part because the principles don’t come naturally to me and that makes me feel incompetent. I find it unintuitive. I wonder how much growth that approach costs me.
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I think it’s easy to become overinvested in how things look. But that doesn’t mean it’s not useful or important for things to look a certain way. I’ve been thinking about fixing my teeth, plastic surgery, weight loss, etc. On the one hand I really resent that anyone cares.
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Replying to @CathyReisenwitz
The principles are authoritarian so it reflects well on you that they don’t come naturally to you Natural aesthetes are also natural dictators
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Replying to @vgr
Is aesthetics mostly cult of personality? Like it does seem like there are some near-universal, pretty timeless principles but also trends and fads I can’t possibly understand and I honestly doubt anyone does because no one explains it the same way or legibly.
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Replying to @CathyReisenwitz
The relationship to cults of personality is partially overlapping sets. Not all CoPs are aesthetic schemes and not all CoPs are CoPs. Nobody explains it legibly because each one is basically it’s own language that you have to learn, and paying cost of learning is how you buy in.
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Replying to @vgr @CathyReisenwitz
This is why you need surplus to invest to go deep, which most people don’t have. There is no reason to if the subject doesn’t appeal to you and you don’t care to unlock the power the aesthetic is key to. To the extent there’s worthwhile power there.https://xkcd.com/915/
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This might be of interest. Between this and the xkcd and the power angle, you’ve covered everything important. Beyond that, enjoy whatever kind of beauty appeals you you, don’t worry too much about it. It is only important in a self-fulfilling prophecy way https://arxiv.org/abs/0812.4360
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