The internal world and the home
 

Rybczynski 35: "John Lukacs points out that words such as 'self-confidence,' 'self-esteem,' 'melancholy,' and 'sentimental' appeared in English or French in their modern sense only two or three hundred years ago. Their use marked the emergence of something new in the human consciousness: the appearance of the internal world of the individual, of the self, and of the family. The significance of the evolution of domestic comfort can only be appreciated in this context. It is much more than a simple search for physical well-being; it begins in the appreciation of the house as a setting for an emerging interior life. In Lukacs's words, 'as the self-consciousness of medieval people was spare, the interiors of their houses were bare, including the halls of nobles and of kings. The interior furniture of houses appeared together with the interior furniture of minds.'"

> from Witold Rybczynski's Home: A Short History of an Idea (1986)

> tagged with #timeline, #identity, #consciousness, #home

> created July 27, 2025 at 8:29:00 AM


> part of unfinished everything


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unfinished everything is an original work / ongoing project (1997-present) by jeremy p. bushnell

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