There’s an inherent tension between “don’t judge a book by its cover” and the attraction we have to beautiful things. I often wonder what the world would look like if we disregarded aesthetics. Would we be happy in a world with no makeup, in which whatever lurked underneath was continually exposed?
Asked another way, what if books didn’t have covers? And more specifically, what if we didn’t know so much about how to incite a particular response by the design of the cover?
The topic of aesthetics is broad and deep. It intersects in the world of design, advertising, art, and of course, nature. However, if the prevailing wisdom is to not judge a book by its cover, and we can agree that the things that matter most are matters of the heart (internal not external), then that should be applied across the board.
Things of beauty should not be allowed an upper hand, by the effects of their natural affection, especially in an age of manipulation. Do not sleep, lest we become entangled.