There are two kinds of beauty. One is immediately satisfying at sight and can be universally shared. The other cannot be recognized without careful discovery and reflections, and is therefore subjective to individuals.
The visual beauty brings feelings of pleasure and admiration directly to people, without any secondary or complicate thoughts. Ability to recognize such beauty is something innate and spontaneous, possibly due to an evolutionary process that is theorized in the Ted Talk. It is the first reaction "Wow!" to an egg shape diamond pendant, a pretty face, the brilliant rays of dawn and sunset, the dreamlike colors of The Starry Night etc. Sublime falls in this category. The powerful natural phenomenon and tranquil landscapes with harmony evoke the impression of beauty instantly, with no reason other than they are simply beautiful. They somehow do not leave a choice for me to decide if it is beautiful, because they are born with the quality of beauty. It is a fact, not a perspective. These beauties are simple yet dangerous as people follows their unavoidable attraction which can lead to misfortune.
Contrary to the beauty of Sublime, the grandeur, is the beauty of focus on a particular idea, like Wabisabi. Seeing Wabi-sabi is a discovering process- one must look very closely and ponder on one's particular response. This is the beauty in the beholder's eye. An abstract painting, knowledge, love and compassion, music... They are cherished by some as beautiful because individuals see and interpret special ideas and and emotion in them that some one else do not. They are like symbols that stand for beauty unique to everyone.
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
I agree with you that beauty can be both universal and personal. I believe that beauty can be also different within different cultures. For example, the Chinese people consider pale skin, thin body and big eyes as beautiful, while the Americans prefer tanned skin and fit body. The standards vary a lot across cultures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that beauty can be dangerous and sometimes lead to misfortune. I also really like you wrote that individual will have different ideas and emotions that someone else don't see. To me I think beauty is really personal, no one should judge people by appearance and everyone has the right to have their own feelings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that sublime nature is very shocking, but it brings a sense of danger and horror. I also believe that beauty is something small and maybe trivial. And beauty is presented by many formats. Beauty is very subjective, depending on different people.
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