How Did The Modern World Get So Ugly? - Sheehan Quirke

Reimagining Beauty

Sheehan begins by challenging the conventional understanding of beauty, which she sees as an overused and misunderstood concept. She carefully redefines beauty not just as a superficial or physical quality but as love made manifest in the world around us. By aligning beauty with love, she simplifies a perplexing notion and invites a more humane, heartfelt approach to aesthetics. This definition shifts the discourse away from moral judgment toward a recognition of beauty as an expression of care, connection, and affection.

This reframing also helps dissolve the debates that get mired in subjectivity and polarity, particularly when discussing modern design, architecture, or everyday objects. By tying beauty to love, Sheehan proposes a framework that elevates the importance of emotional impact over mere visual appeal, suggesting that beauty is not about perfection but about meaningful engagement and warmth shown in the crafted environment.

The Conceptual Triad

Central to Sheehan's argument is her preference to replace the often divisive terms "beautiful" or "ugly" with a trio of words that she finds more precise and less inflammatory: interesting, charming, and meaningful. She highlights "interesting" as the antidote to boredom, emphasizing that human beings universally abhor boredom more than they suffer ugliness or discomfort. This insight underscores that the liveliness, engagement, or "spark" that captures attention is far more vital in design and life than simply seeking to be conventionally attractive.

"Charming," Sheehan explains with enthusiasm, refers to an understated playfulness and a subtle human touch that respects the observer. Unlike beauty's sometimes grandiose expectations, charm is about small details that make us smile and feel valued in our environments—like a quirky door latch or a whimsical design element that interrupts the monotony of daily life. Meaningfulness, meanwhile, connects deeply with context; Sheehan stresses that meaningful design reflects local history, people, and culture, counteracting the generic, homogenized look that pervades much of the modern built environment. Together, these three words form a practical vocabulary to critique and appreciate the spaces and objects around us meaningfully.

Designing for Humanity

The conversation then delves into the architectural dictum "form follows function," notably referenced by the architect Louis Sullivan. Sheehan clarifies that this phrase is often misunderstood—Sullivan did not dismiss decoration or aesthetics but insisted that a building's design should suit its innate purpose. This ethos meant embracing decoration that accentuates a structure's true essence rather than applying superficial adornments indiscriminately.

Using examples like drainage pipes and water towers from the 19th century, Sheehan illustrates how even the most utilitarian objects historically carried charm, meaning, and interest. Such infrastructure was crafted with attention to aesthetics, incorporating decorative elements that made towns and cities feel more humane. The failure to extend that approach into contemporary design renders much of today's infrastructure sterile and uninspiring, and Sheehan argues that this disregard impoverishes the very spaces where people live their lives.

The Crisis of Modern Architecture

Sheehan casts a critical eye on the faceless uniformity in current architectural trends—especially in large urban centers where skyscrapers and office blocks often look strikingly similar across countries and cultures. She challenges the assumption that uniformity should be normalized, reminding listeners that humans are wired for variety and richness in their environments. The blandness of much modern architecture, she contends, stems not from ideological progress but from consumerism and a culture fixated on obsolescence and minimal cost.

This system incentivizes developers to choose the cheapest, quickest, and most generic construction methods, sacrificing the possibility of meaningful or charming design. Sheehan warns that such commodification of the built environment ultimately subverts human well-being, as people grow more stressed and disconnected living and working in uninspiring places. She encourages a reorientation of priorities, valuing long-lasting, locally appropriate, and beautiful design that benefits everyone beyond mere financial returns.

Defending Modernism

In her nuanced critique, Sheehan refuses to dismiss modern architecture in totality. She praises celebrated modern buildings like London's Gherkin and The Shard for their boldness and the way they enrich the city's character. Her stance is an invitation to appreciate architectural variety and to reject the false dichotomy that pits tradition against modernity. Both have a rightful place in our evolving cultural landscape.

This openness to variety extends beyond architecture to call for a balance—acknowledging brutalism's grandeur and monumentality while also cherishing the charm of older, detailed Victorian designs. The key is not nostalgia or conservatism but a recognition that diversity and thoughtful design contribute to a more vibrant human experience.

Beauty in the Everyday

Sheehan's affection for small, overlooked elements like Victorian water fountains, door latches, and ornate drainpipes highlights her belief that beauty can be embedded into the fabric of daily life. These details, often dismissed as trivial, make a profound difference in how we experience our cities and homes. They inject moments of delight, surprise, and warmth into routines that could otherwise feel mechanical and dull.

This attention to detail also has ethical dimensions: Sheehan points to the dignity that comes from creating beautiful and meaningful objects as a way to enrich both the creator's and the user's lives. Making these objects charming restores creativity and pride in craftsmanship, counteracting the alienation wrought by mass-produced, impersonal goods.

The Personal Journey of a Cultural Tutor

The podcast also offers an intimate portrait of Sheehan herself and her journey from uncertain beginnings to becoming a cultural influencer and writer, known online as the Cultural Tutor. Beginning in low-paid jobs and feeling aimless, she gradually found a focus and a mission through daily writing on social media, sharing her passion for art, architecture, and culture. Her perseverance amidst setbacks and her embrace of patronage reveal a modern tale of self-discovery and the power of sustained creative labor.

Sheehan's story underscores the transformative impact that cultural engagement can have on individuals' lives, not only financially but spiritually and socially. The emergence of the online creator economy allows new pathways for cultural education and appreciation in ways institutionalized systems have often failed to provide.

The Role of Poetry and Art

Poetry forms a particularly evocative part of the discussion, where Sheehan champions its role as a counterbalance to the fast-paced, distracted culture of social media. She believes poetry offers a kind of mental exercise—forcing contemplation and emotional openness—very different from the bite-sized entertainment of reels or television series.

She also stresses poetry's capacity to reveal profound truths about life and death, love and loss, as exemplified in works written under extreme conditions such as during the First World War. For Sheehan, engaging with poetry and other classical arts enriches our emotional lives, expanding our capacity for empathy and reflection, which are essential in a world overwhelmed by irony and cynicism.

Earnestness in a Cynical Age

Romance, as Sheehan presents it, is inherently inconvenient, unpredictable, and deeply sincere—qualities that clash directly with modern life's emphasis on convenience and efficiency. She describes romance as the courage to take one's emotions seriously and to be vulnerable, an act increasingly suppressed in a culture dominated by ironic detachment.

This conversation touches on the challenges of modern dating and evolving gender roles, acknowledging complexities but affirming the timeless importance of earnest connection. Quoting Shakespeare and drawing on literary tradition, Sheehan illustrates how this heartfelt expression has historically ennobled human experience. The sacrifice and passion underpinning romance stand in defiance of the pragmatic and often numbing routines of contemporary existence.

The Power of Cultural Consumption

A recurring theme emerges around the influence of what we consume mentally—our "mental diet." Sheehan highlights that while physical health has benefited greatly from optimization trends, cultural and emotional nutrition lags behind. Exposure to enriching, challenging art could play a vital role in fostering deeper well-being and counteracting the emotional flatness modern life sometimes induces.

She argues for a renaissance of accessible cultural literacy, free from elitism, where people are encouraged to explore poetry, literature, and art not as esoteric disciplines but as sources of joy and insight. This cultural nourishment is not about sophistication but about opening one's eyes and heart and finding meaning beyond consumption and distraction.

A Vision for a More Beautiful Future

Ultimately, Sheehan's vision is not about returning blindly to the past or rejecting the new but about integrating lessons from history with the realities of today to create worlds that nourish human spirits and minds. She makes a compelling case for reconsidering our values around design and culture to build environments—and lives—that are interesting, charming, meaningful, and affirming.

This is a call for everyone—creators, consumers, and citizens alike—to reclaim their collective agency in shaping the world, emphasizing that the appearance and feel of our surroundings directly impact our happiness and well-being. It's a vision that encourages curiosity, earnestness, and a deeper engagement with the objects and stories that fill our lives, calling us away from indifference and toward a more vibrant, textured experience.

Sheehan Quirke's reflections encourage us all to ask: in a world where mass production and uniformity threaten to dull our senses, what will we choose to cherish and create that makes our existence richer, more human, and more alive?