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#1022 - Sheehan Quirke - How Did The Modern World Get So Ugly?

Overview

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#1022 - Sheehan Quirke - How Did The Modern World Get So Ugly?

Modern Wisdom

Nov 20
Modern Wisdom

Modern Wisdom

Nov 20
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Sheehan Quirke is a British writer and online educator, known as The Cultural Tutor for creating accessible posts on art, history, and literature. Why does modern life feel so devoid of beauty? For decades, efficiency has beaten out elegance. Cheap has re...

Highlights

In a world increasingly shaped by efficiency and utility, a growing sense of emptiness lingers beneath the surface. This conversation explores why modern environments feel sterile, how beauty has been sidelined in favor of function, and what we stand to regain by reawakening our appreciation for meaning, art, and timeless design.
07:48
Boringness, not ugliness, is the real problem in modern design
17:26
You lack deadlines, not ideas
24:19
People globally feel modern things are boring and long for a more interesting world.
41:31
Modern architecture lifted humanity out of material squalor using concrete, steel, glass, and plastic.
47:15
Beautiful design enriches both makers' and users' lives
52:14
An extra 1% spent on beauty in architecture can increase happiness and tourism.
1:03:46
Brutalism is not boring—it’s bold, visionary, and full of optimism despite being called ugly
1:06:52
Romance is inconvenient in a world optimized for convenience
1:16:08
Expressing deep, boundless love enriches the soul.
1:24:22
There's been no comparable boom in artistic, cultural, emotional, or spiritual self-improvement despite advances in material well-being.
1:29:54
Modern audiences may benefit more from poetry like Hodgson's than from spoon-fed popular media.
1:40:54
Art's meaning is co-created by the audience, not dictated by the artist.
1:43:27
True romance involves a willingness to die for another.
1:49:13
The best filter for quality is the test of time.
1:51:53
Classic books reveal what generations found meaningful

Chapters

Is beauty overrated—or have we just forgotten what truly moves us?
00:00
How a night security job led to a cultural awakening
15:15
Why art needs patrons—and why passion can’t be mass-produced
24:19
Do people really prefer old buildings? What the data reveals
36:20
When did public spaces stop feeling sacred?
47:15
Why beautiful buildings last longer—and make us happier
52:14
Brutalism: Was concrete ever meant to inspire hope?
1:03:46
Can romance survive in a world built for convenience?
1:06:52
Why saying 'I love you' is an act of courage today
1:13:16
We optimized our bodies—so why are our souls behind?
1:24:22
What poetry knows that TV will never tell you
1:26:53
How to read poetry without feeling like a fraud
1:36:04
Writing poems to train your heart like a muscle
1:43:27
What would you die for? Love, death, and meaning
1:46:05
If Earth were ending, which books would you save?
1:51:53

Transcript

Chris Williamson: What is beauty? Sheehan Quirke: That's one hell of a question. I think the word is overused, misunderstood. The best way to think about beauty, the most helpful way, is to think of it as synonymous with the word love. Once you do that, a...