To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school…it is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. – Henry David Thoreau
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Live a Beautiful Life
I think beauty is mainly in the eye of the beholder. Normally I think there can be a larger consensus on the basis of things like truth and goodness, but in the case of beauty, I believe it is more subjective than other divisive topics. I find the stars beautiful, but others use blackout blinds to prevent any light from getting into their house. Others appreciate a fine wine or a tasty salad, while I find beauty in a frosted cupcake and a ginger ale. In terms of art, I think that one has to find something beautiful for it to be art, but there can be a famous work of art that others don’t find beautiful. The most important thing in beauty is to understand that strangers won’t have the same opinion or life experience as you, which will inevitably cause disagreement. It is a great life lesson for the entirety of the human population to understand that not everyones opinions will line up and someone might vehemently disagree with you. I think art mirrors life in the same way that it is practice for the real world where people don’t agree with one another. In an ideal world, there would be enough respect and adoration between individuals to understand someone else’s circumstances and acknowledge that, and beauty plays a vital role in that. Beauty can contribute to living a fulfilled life by being able to appreciate the beautiful daily wonders that work 24 hours a day. Beauty can make an alright day, into one of the best days ever. One can see beauty in a child, a friend, a significant other, a dog, or the ocean. My grandfather always said, “there are three things you can watch forever, fire, the ocean, and a baby.” However you see beauty, it is important to let yourself experience it and use it to be the best person you can be every day.
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I very much appreciate how you make the point that an important life lesson is understanding ones perception of beauty is not the same of others. I believe that in schooling (at least some classes) we are taugh what is supposed to be beautiful- the Sistine chapel, the Mina Lisa, Van Goh's artwork and when people disagree, it is frowned upon. I think we could all benefit from trying to realize that what we believe to be beautiful may not be beautiful for others. It's humbling to consider how small our beliefs are within the whole world.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea that we should always be prepare for and open to disagreements. Maybe struggling on finding a strict definition on beauty is not so much a good idea as to just being content with what we personally find to be beautiful and accepting and sharing what beauty in others' eyes. I think that is the beauty of beauty, that it can take infinite possibilities in different people's mind.
ReplyDeleteI really like your comparison between a sophisticated meal that most people would agree on as beautiful and of the less fancy yet still tasty cupcake and ginger ale. There is beauty to be found in simple things, which often we don't give ourselves time to appreciate, especially children and nature. I definitely relate to this, as I often feel annoyed by my sister, but she is so special and the sound of a young child's laugh is truly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your comment about how beauty can turn an all-right day into one of the best days ever. I really believe that is true and I think the concept of wabi-sabi plays an important role in that. Being able to slow down and view the subtle beauty in our world, can change our whole perspective on beauty.
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