Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Romantisicm Isn't Dead, but It Should Be

It does nobody any good to look at the world through a lens that simplifies and beautifies everything. Followers of the Romantic philosophy are simply ignorant. The people who get things done in the world are not Romantics-- they are informed with facts and reality.

Romanticism can be fun, and Romantic art can be beautiful. But Romanticising concepts that are actually complex and flawed is always problematic.

I am not arguing that all qualities of Romanticism should be removed from daily life. I am a huge fan of Romantic visual art, and I also appreciate modern Romanticism in dance. I am an artist who believes art should be socially relevant and inform daily life, but it doesn't always have to. Sometimes  a work of art exists because it is fun (or pretty, or ugly, not all art has to have some deep greater meaning). But I feel that there is danger when as a society we Romanticize things that should not be Romanticized. We must be cautious to not overuse Romantic ideals, because if we do, it can be dangerous to society and cause problematic ignorance.

Romanticism gives people a break from the realities of the world. Humans are not as deeply connected to nature or appreciative of the common everyday parts of life as Romanticism implies they are. Sometimes Romanticism is nice, but it should stay in its place. People should put their focus on real world problems and stop deluding themselves with Romantic ideals.

1 comment:

  1. This is and interesting and unique take on modern romanticism. I'm not sure I agree with all of what you are saying. You say, "Humans are not as deeply connected to nature or appreciative of the common everyday parts of life as Romanticism implies they are". However, I think that they are. Not all humans but a lot of humans are and they live their lifes this way. I believe that if more people gained or followed the true ideals of Romanticism, like a Utopian society, then maybe just maybe the world can become a better place.

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