I hate things.
Let's clarify from the beginning that I am not attempting to incite a flame war but rather I am simply hateful.
A few weeks ago my mom was struck by clarity and rationality and so decided that all of her problems could be solved by recarpeting the entire house. This means that every room must be emptied so that the old carpet can be removed and new carpet can be laid upon the floor. As a result of moving all of the everything inside of the house this past week I have learned a few things about myself and the world.
1) Aesthetics are dumb.
I've said it before but now I fully believe it. Aesthetics which do not also have utility are dumb. Doorjams with chunks missing are still doorjams. Walls with deep rips and tears in them still serve the purpose of walls. Stained carpet can still fully exhibit whatever utility carpet has. And FUCK wallpaper. Paint your walls white and be done with it. And if we aren't to the point where we can collectively throw aesthetics off of the social boat then some rich, popular asshole needs to declare that it is now "in" for houses to exhibit the "post modern" quality of being ripped to shit.
2) I don't want heavy things.
My dad and I had the pleasure of moving all of the heavy things in the house. Doing so has led to the realization that one does not need these things in order to live. So among the things I will never own are large televisions, pianos, dressers, desks, wardrobes, sofas, billiard tables, or anything else that weights over 200 pounds. If I cannot lift it by myself then it is not going into my room/apartment/house.
3) I don't want things.
Right now my room contains a mattress and a box with my laptop on top of it. This is enjoyable. This is pleasant. So it is entirely possible that sometime this week I may sell/give away/throw away/burn all of my worldly posessions and keep my laptop and my box. I may fill my room with plants. I'm not sure yet. But everything I can easilly get out of the house is going to Goodwill. Because I'm pretty sure that none of those items ever made my life any better.
16 comments:
You may be turnign in to a former incarnation of myself.
that statement was not intended to have meaning.
now as for the "Aesthetics are Dumb" statement. yes.
however, I refer to exhibit A, my apartment of awesomeness. and to exhibit B, the young house room of awesomeness. one can do a lot with large sheets of colored paper.
I agree that aesthetics suck ass. White walls are the greatest ever. If it doesn't have utility I too don't want it.
I, however, must disagree about furniture. I need my comfy couch, my big bed, my big TV, and my huge entertainment center. I also enjoy having a large desk for which I can store my stuff and organize it properly.
Ignore the deleted comment, since I have no edit priveleges.
Side Note :Large heavy things that don't serve a purpose in my regular routine, then it falls under the category of aesthetics, i.e. a piano.
No one can edit comments. It's not a proveleges thing.
I think aesthetics for aesthetic's sake is dumb. If there is no utility then why bother?
I would argue that our room at Young House had utility. The giant sheets of paper were useful for 3 a.m. rantings.
I think that rather than go with a large TV I would get a projector and a dark room. Combine that with white walls and everyone wins.
I also think that desks are mostly needless. One can get cubbyholes which:
1) Hold More
2) Weight Less
And that would be an advantage.
Have you *seen* MRPP's cubbyhole unit o' heftiness?
I like having a desktop, which requires a desk. Were I to not enjoy desktops, then I guess that a simple storage system would work.
Since I have decided I want a desk anyways, I thought I might as well add utility to it, and get one large enough that I can take care of all of my bills, important paperwork, etc. with it at the same time.
Not disagreeing with you, I just prefer to have a desk. Overall though, I agree and try not to own anything purely for aesthetics.
I think it would be great if desks/tables/whatnot could be constructed of lightweight materials which could support immense amounts of weight.
Or, better, since it is 2007 science ought to get off its ass an invent a damn anti-gravity pad.
There are several ways of making things seem lighter, and if science is failing you, it may be time to explore exercise.
You know what I accomplished by exercising in college?
Not a damn thing.
But did you exercise in college?
I totally exercised in college. I was all martial artsy and etc. for a few years.
Man.. you aesthetic free life is more miserable than mine.
that's epic.
You realize that your "utilitarian" design sense .... is an aesthetic choice?
Only if a denial of aesthetics is itself aesthetic.
It is, unfortunately for you.
You're making a consicous desicion to avoid what you see as "aesthetic choices", and in doing so are making an aesthetic choice that puts emphasis on function over form.
"You're making a consicous desicion to avoid what you see as "aesthetic choices", and in doing so are making an aesthetic choice that puts emphasis on function over form."
What?
I'm not saying to make an aesthetic choice of utility. I'm saying that once one denies aesthetic choices one is left with utility.
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