A sense for beauty

Yesterday morning I was on my balcony, enjoying the warmth of October’s sun under a clear blue sky, and talked to my neighbour about how beautiful live can be. She treated herself in the morning with a candle light bath and a glass of champagne which may sound somewhat decadent but knowing her since a couple of years I can assure you it isn’t. The line between luxury and decadence: Enjoying and sharing the pleasures, knowing how very privileged you are.

And we in modern western civilization are privileged, very much indeed. We live a life of kings and queens, better even if you compare with the miserable medical standards, the hygiene of public space and of our living rooms, the pleasures of entertainment, …. of let’s say French kings and their entourage 250 years ago. At the very end, one reason for our well being off might be due to the fact that we just got rid of those kings and queens. We killed those who lived by grace of god from our taxes a while ago and started to think for ourselves. Except for the Swiss (we unfortunately never enjoyed the soothing comfort of knowing there is a king taking care of our well-being), and the British who chose a more civilized way to their noble class’ oblivion; ultimately by building an entertaining Disney zoo like playing ground for their royals and feeding them to the paparazzi lions.

Thus, my neighbour and me were talking about the beauty of the last autumn flowers and the special quality of October’s sun, shaping the colours and contours like an artist working on a sculpture with an ultra-sharp old Japanese knife. A conversation which brought back memories of another good friend of mine who once asked me, being the expert in molecular biology and evolution back then, why we have a sense of beauty anyway. Why has evolution shaped us in a way that we may stand one day in front of a rose and immediately feel how beautiful this flower is, a piece of art with its colours, shape and scent? What is the evolutionary advantage of man/women having a sense for beauty? It doesn’t really help when searching some edible roots in African savannah. It may be a by-product of evolution for which we should be grateful as it gives us joy in life, for instance by smelling a beautiful perfume on a beloved person.