The Banishment of Beauty from Everyday Life - by Ted Gioia
Nothing could be more boring—nowadays they’re little more than a barcode or QR symbol. Sometime the entire ticket disappears, replaced by a phone app.
I’m told that ticket sellers now hate actual tickets. Consider the case of Ross Barkan, who recently tried to get a physical ticket to an event. Ticketmaster told him it was impossible.
The train is no longer just a functional means of transportation, but instead takes on a magical quality. Even before you begin your journey, the ticket itself has captivated you.
This is more than just a matter of beauty—the ticket also conveys caring, in the Heideggerian sense. You have more trust in the train and the people operating it, merely beacuse of the care that went into the ticket.
Japanese culture is full of these examples of care and aesthetic contemplation. But even a boring utilitarian society like the US once had glamorous tickets.
Not long ago, these small acts of beauty and care were pervasive in daily life. You could see them in luggage tags, stationery, clocks, lamp posts, even sewer covers.
