The Economy of Beauty

My wife and I spent a few hundred Euro on three pieces of old furniture the other day. We figured we might as well pay a few extra Euros for something a little nicer to look at than typical IKEA pieces. With these old pieces likely to keep their value better than modern mass produces stuff, the direct economic benefit to our decision is also easy to figure out. Instead of saving our money in a bank account, we've put a little of it into something nice to have in the house. However, this is but a trivial part of the total investment return.

Having brought these pieces into our home, our apartment has changed character. While still as crowded and disorganized as ever, the overall feel is now more of a rustic middle class home. In my mind, there are vague associations to distant ancestry. This feeling of belonging becomes all the stronger when we set our table with our finest porcelain, cutlery and glasses. Suddenly I'm transported emotionally to a time when elegance and beauty was taken more seriously, and I very much like it. It makes me feel comfortable, calm and affluent, and this is the real economic value of things of beauty. It calms us down, makes us balanced and focused.

Focus and balance are in turn what's needed in order to succeed in life. Our best decisions are always taken from such a position, and that's why beauty is so often associated with real wealth rather than wealth merely imagined. Beauty is not only wealth in the present, it's a pretty sure starting point for continued wealth in the future, and the best part of this is that it doesn't have to cost much to get started. Our most beautiful pieces of art, furniture, cups and cutlery are not our most expensive pieces.

We have expensive wine glasses that we hardly ever use for the simple reason that they are prone to tip over and break, something that significantly diminish their value. They look beautiful, but our awareness of their frailty makes it impossible for us to use them without experiencing tension and anxiety. Our cheaper set of more robust glasses are therefore preferred. Beauty is not merely appearance but utility as well. There has to be a feeling of quality, reliability and robustness. Otherwise, there's little depth to the beauty at hand, and hence little real value apart from a glossy surface.

Things of real beauty are robust enough to be used daily, and this is exactly what we should do. That which is beautiful should not merely be on display, it should be used regularly, because it's only when we use what we have that we fully appreciate value, and only then are we able to experience the affluence that surrounds us.

Antique furniture