The reason is much more than skin deep.
– KEYS SOULCARE
“Wow, that’s beautiful.”
So often we find ourselves exclaiming just that. But when’s the last time you stopped to examine why “beauty” itself matters at all?
This recent New York Times piece interviewed people across a variety of disciplines — from actors to astrophysicists — on how beauty manifests in our lives and what its ideals say about our collective values. The answers ranged from a mechanism “to create hierarchy and segregate people” (from actress Jameela Jamil) to the transcendent power of protecting our natural world (from conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen).
There are dozens of viral TED talks about what makes something beautiful. And when it comes to science, theories range from our visual preference for order and symmetry to the reinforcement of wanting to belong to a group (even when the group’s ideals are set — but not met — by the most powerful among us).
One thing writers and scientists agree on is that what makes something beautiful is personal to each of us, but the experience of beauty is universal. Whether it’s watching light hit our window at just the right angle or happening upon uplifting words or a new jam on our morning walk, treating our senses to something wonderful does wonders for the psyche.
After all, a life spent bearing witness to beauty — no matter where you find it — sounds pretty beautiful, don’t you think?
What are your beliefs when it comes to beauty? Where are you seeking and finding it in your own life? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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