If humans had no concept of beauty, how would relationships and art evolve?

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”

— John Keats

But what if beauty — as we understand it — didn’t exist at all? Imagine a world where symmetry, glow, and aesthetic charm have no meaning. A world where we don’t judge faces, bodies, colors, or curves. What would happen to human relationships? To art, expression, and desire?

This thought experiment takes us deep into the psychology of connection, creativity, and meaning.

If Not Beauty, Then What?

Beauty is not just a cultural preference — it’s an evolutionary signal. Research by psychologists like Nancy Etcoff and David Buss shows that humans often associate physical traits with health and genetic fitness. That’s why youth, symmetry, and skin clarity matter so much in today’s world.

Now remove that instinct. Suddenly, we're not drawn by the shape of a smile or the curve of a jaw. Instead, we would rely on emotional resonance, intellect, and values. Relationships would be more authentic, less superficial.

In fact, psychologist Arthur Aron's research suggests that deep, vulnerable conversations — not looks — build lasting intimacy. In a world without beauty, perhaps only these deeper traits would matter.

Art Without Aesthetic Appeal

Art has always reflected our obsession with beauty — from the sculptures of ancient Greece to Instagram filters today. But beauty has also limited art. What if artists no longer chased the “pretty”?

Art would become about meaning, message, and emotion. Conceptual and abstract art would flourish. Think of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain — a urinal that challenged everything people thought art should be. Without beauty, art would provoke, not please. It would seek truth, not symmetry.

Even fashion, film, and photography would shift. The focus would move toward storytelling, identity, rebellion, and feeling.

The Fall of the Beauty Industry

Today, beauty is a $570+ billion global industry. Advertising, media, and social apps thrive on it. But if beauty lost meaning, industries would pivot.

Marketing would shift toward ethics, emotion, and authenticity. Influencers would rise based on ideas, not aesthetics. Representation would be inclusive by default. The standard would no longer be how you look — but how you live.

A More Meaningful World?

Without beauty, would the world be dull? Perhaps not.

In fact, we might discover a deeper version of beauty — one not seen, but felt. Relationships would be rooted in empathy. Art would be measured by truth. Life would be lived from the inside out.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote:

“What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Written by: Soumen Sasmal