Having a discussion with friends last night about life and art which has lead me to some interesting points and conclusions.
In the course of the conversation, I mentioned that there was a girl I went to college with who I came to think of as a horrible person largely because she was extremely self-centered, but also because her ultimate dream in life was to get married and have kids. In response, one of my friends made the fair point that there isn't really wrong with that so long as the person has chosen that life.
Another friend argued, however, that there are some people who never aspire to even that but instead want to experience life simply by traveling, watching movies, listening to music, and otherwise taking in the world. It's important that this is described as "taking in" the world for that is what I maintained: that such a life cannot be as highly valued as those people would want because in fact all they will have done with their life is consume and ultimately, they will have nothing to say for themselves. Furthermore, that you cannot even say that you have experienced life to its fullest if you never act, do, make, create, or whatever synonym you want to use.
So, the question becomes, if that is the case, what is the purpose of art. If in fact it is basically or essentially empty to consume art, then what purpose can it have. This is not to denigrate the value of art directly, since art can have a large impact on our lives. It can produce catharsis, it can change our mood, or console our melancholy. But after the immediate perception, its effects seem to just float away.
One friend made the cogent and intelligent point that in the first place, the purpose of art is for the artist. It is for the artist to act, do, make, or create. In the second place, from the audience's standpoint, it is there for consumption my friend maintained.
And here's the big conclusion: The reason that a life spend consuming the world is ultimately empty, even if it's spent consuming the greatest works of art in the world, is that such a life would never put the message into practice. If art is in some way going to make us better people, we can't be better people without taking some action. A life spent in consumption is one without action, and being a good person requires getting out of your own head and engaging with the world.
Sartre bites everyone in the ass.
