How Art Transforms Us

An exploration of the hidden and seductive ways in which art can change us as people. Does art get us to upend our lives by making beauty feel like truth?How Art Transforms Us uncovers the hidden ways in which art can change who we are. Movies, novels, and songs do more than entertain us. They inspire us to quit our jobs, take up hobbies, start careers, rethink parenthood, and join political movements.Aumann argues that art is not always honest or straightforward. It can use beauty, humor, and horror to cast boxing, hiking, motherhood, and activism in a misleading light. Worse, it can lead us to confuse aesthetic appeal with genuine insight. Drawing on examples including Rocky, The Bear, Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch, climate-change installations, and activist memes, Aumann shows how art can change us without relying on reasons and arguments alone.The result is troubling. Art can lead us astray and undermine our autonomy. Yet there is a bright side. Art can also help us discover more meaningful ways to live. How Art Transforms Us concludes that we should not always resist art’s influence. Despite the risks involved, our lives often go better if we open ourselves up to its power.