Sometime in the late mid-century, it became artistically acceptable to pursue something other than beauty. Art broadened its horizons, to speak to tragic, grotesque, profound, simple. A simple change of pursuit, but the result affects art, literature and even perspective now. So if art no longer speaks beauty, but strives for truth, why do we still have philosophy or religion?
I would present that art is the lie that tells the truth, and religion is the truth that shows our lies.
Beauty is easy - easy to identify, easy to look at, easy to lose one's self in. Truth, however, can be quite harsh and difficult to accept. Truth destroys pretty illusions, and shows the hard things we balk at - like courage and honesty - to best advantage. And sad to say, it is far easier to accept an easy, pretty lie than even share space with a rough truth.
Why does this distinction matter?
In a word: character.
That je ne sais quoi some call maturity, and others, a certain moral compass, finds itself founded in character. Once described in this process: difficulties produce endurance, endurance producing character, character producing hope, and hope does not disappoint - it becomes clear that character (that is, being able to endure difficulty, or difficult truth) connects something true (difficulty) to something beautiful (hope that does not disappoint). When searching for truth in a lie, one loses the appreciation of any beauty, because it becomes unseen; or worse, expected to disappoint. Conversely, religion, promoting faith (which is, at its base, completely illogical and unreasonable) shows truth unedited, or said a different way, inartistically. This places the experiencer in the difficult, true position of choice.
Depending on what is true, but not beautiful, or trusting what is carefully presented to be truth-filled creates a tension that requires a choice, and requires character to settle.
What then, as a society and as a people, will we choose? Convenient beauty or challenging truth? How will the character of those choosers be decided?
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