“Beauty is not a quality of things themselves, but rather exists in the mind of the person perceiving them.” – David Hume
Why is beauty important? What is your definition of beauty? How does experiencing beauty affect us psychologically, physically, and emotionally. To know yourself well, you should ask questions and seek answers. Become aware of your surroundings and how it affects your daily life. Extending from the blog posted on November 8, 2024, what does it mean to exist? What role does beauty play in our existence?
Beauty is a concept that is often connected to aesthetics. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty, art, and the creation and appreciation of beauty. Beauty is one of those deep philosophical questions pondered by humankind from the beginning of recorded history. On the surface level, it is what pleases the senses. However, on a deeper level, it is intertwined with our emotions, culture, and our thoughts.
The saying beauty is in the eyes of the beholder means that the person who is observing is the one to decide what is beautiful. It could also mean that beauty does not exist outside of the observer; it is created by the observer. Our life experiences, upbringing, worldview, and our personal tastes shape our perspective on what is beautiful.
Why is beauty important to us? Because experiences with beauty provoke joy and pleasure, they trigger our emotional response. Encountering beauty affects our physical and psychological well-being. Finding beauty in our day can have a calming effect. It can stimulate our creativity and act as a springboard for societal innovation. The arts can connect us to others and help us communicate and understand others on a deeper level.
How beauty contributes to our existence
Beauty links our sensory experiences, search for meaning, and place in the world. Engaging with magnificent landscapes or a sky with a full moon and stars brings a sense of awe and wonder. We say that beauty is breathtaking, that the experience is so profound that it takes our breath away. One experience stands out for me, driving through the mountains in Colorado for the first time. Driving on a winding road through copper-colored rock formations, like towers on each side of the road, as the sun rises, the light catches on the copper. There was an intense array of colors from the deepest reds and oranges. It was an encounter with beauty that left a lasting picture in my mind. We could all name moments when we are overwhelmed by something so beautiful that it leaves us speechless.
Art, music, and literature hold profound truths about the human condition. Participation in these forms of beauty and aesthetics prompts deep self-reflection. It can encourage us to explore our feelings and life experiences. Creating beauty through art, music, and the written word gives us a way to express our thoughts and emotions. A path to seek who we are and to communicate who we are to others.
Beauty can provoke strong emotional responses, such as happiness, joy, or inspiration. Some encounters are so beautiful that they bring tears to our eyes, leave us speechless, and move us in ways that create a forever impression. These emotional experiences enrich our lives. They help us to understand our own and other people’s experiences. These emotions connect us on the deepest level.
How beauty has been viewed
In ancient times, philosophers pondered the nature and essence of beauty. Plato viewed beauty as an objective quality, a reflection of the eternal and unchanging forms. He believed true beauty transcends the physical world and can be grasped through the mind’s eye. Aristotle saw beauty in the harmony and balance of parts within a whole, emphasizing order and symmetry.
Then, in the Enlightenment era, Immanuel Kant argued that beauty is a subjective experience. Kant believed that beauty was in the hands of the individual to learn to appreciate harmony and order. He distinguished the sublime from the beautiful. Sublime refers to a quality of greatness that inspires awe and admiration; it invokes deep emotional responses. David Hume believed that beauty exists in the mind of the beholder and varies from person to person.
Cultural Dimensions of Beauty
Beauty is also influenced by our cultural framework; different cultures have differing standards of beauty, and they are influenced by historical, social, and environmental factors. One example is the concept of beauty in ancient Greece, where there was an emphasis on physical perfection and athleticism, contrasts with the more spiritual and inner beauty valued in many Eastern cultures. Cultural expressions of beauty can be found in art, music, literature, rituals, and symbolism, which reflect the values and aesthetics of a culture or society. These cultural treasures not only convey beauty but also preserve and transmit cultural heritage and identity.
Science has explored the human experience of beauty through biology, psychology, culture, religion, and social perspectives. It has been found that we have a built-in biological radar that associates facial symmetry with beauty. We see this symmetry as displaying health and genetic fitness. Or you may find someone with average features to be safer or trustworthy, as average features are more familiar. Culturally, standards of beauty vary widely. What we consider beautiful in one culture may not be the case in another. The standard of beauty has changed significantly over history, time, and place.
Beauty in everyday life
Beauty is present in our daily lives. As we encounter nature, the beauty of a sunset, a flock of birds overhead, the face of a loved one. Through the arts, music, dance, and literature, we experience and are connected by beauty. The sights, scents, and sounds of our culture and heritage can bring joy and connectedness.
Nature provides us with a wonderland of beauty if you take the time to appreciate it. In nature, we see patterns, textures, colors, and forms that are pleasing to our eyes. Nature can stimulate our senses with regard to sight, sound, and touch. The sounds of birds singing or the wind slowly moving through the trees can trigger a peacefulness, giving us an awe experience. Nature can trigger inspiration, creativity, and deep self-reflection. It also provides us with a sense of reality and belonging.
There is a phenomenon known as inattentional blindness, which is how we can fail to notice visible objects because our attention is focused on something else. This blindness can cause us to overlook smaller details of our lives, maybe missing the beauty that can awe and inspire us. When I walk, I block out the ugly and focus on the beauty around me to the point I do not see what I don’t want to see. But what am I missing?
I bring this up because becoming aware of how we interact with the world and learning to truly see and appreciate what surrounds us will promote well-being. Experiencing beauty in any form can bring joy and happiness, releasing the feel-good hormones that uplift our mood. The bottom line is that it is good for your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Conclusion
Appreciating beauty enriches our lives on multiple levels—emotionally, psychologically, socially, physically, and cognitively. It helps create a more balanced, fulfilling, and joyful existence. There are some commonalities in how we encounter beauty; oftentimes, what is beautiful is defined by the culture or time in history. However, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. What I see as beautiful is not necessarily what you hold as beauty. The role of the observer in the perception of beauty is central to making it a deeply personal experience.
Beauty plays a vital role in the arts, inspiring the creative nature of humans. We create works that bring out emotional and aesthetic responses in others. We share our concepts of the world and our feelings. We create beauty through fashion, aesthetic designs, graphic arts, sculptures, and music. I have been listening to Frederic Chopin, a classical pianist, and the beauty of the music is sometimes almost overwhelming.
The pursuit of beauty can be intertwined with the search for meaning and purpose in life. Beyond aesthetics, beauty has captivated our minds since recorded history. It is intertwined with our emotions, thoughts, cultures, and our daily existence. We build, design, and wear things we feel are beautiful.
Beauty, with its multifaceted nature, goes beyond mere aesthetics. It touches on philosophical questions about our existence, perception, and values. Beauty is not just what we see, but what we feel, think, and experience. It is a part of the human journey, a source of joy, inspiration, and profound meaning.
Could you imagine your life without beauty?
Recommended Reading
Beauty: What It Is and Why It Matters, by John-Mark L. Miravalle
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, by Edmund Burke
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, by Susan Magsamen, and Ivy Ross
Citations
Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash