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 | You’re reading How to Live—an inquiry into the psychological forces that shape us, and how to stop being run by them. Through deep research, personal storytelling, and hard-earned clarity, I question the myth of normalcy and offer sharper ways to face old struggles. This work is reader-supported. If it speaks to you, consider a paid subscription for deeper insight, off-the-record writing, and seasonal in-person gatherings. You can also donate any amount. |
The Feeling of the Form: On the Nature of Taste
There’s no accounting for taste.
Why do some images stop us in our tracks, and some annoy us?
Why does some art stir or hook into the lonely crook of our deepest internal essence, which we can’t otherwise access?
Music does this also.
Books too.
For instance:
Why this
But not this?
Both are by the same artist and feature trees, which I love. So why does only one reach me while the other doesn’t?
Perhaps it’s down to color or the different materials used. Maybe it’s something altogether different that I can’t quite name. I don’t always know why I like something, but I always know what I like.
As I recover from hand surgery and cannot work as I want, I’m looking at art and book covers, which stir the places writing does.
Today, I’m sharing the book covers that reach me in vague and/or profound ways and wondering if they also reach you.
BOOK COVERS
If you like this, you’ll probably like the rest. It’s all behind the paywall.
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