The Concept of Beauty
Beauty is often described as the aesthetic quality of certain physical characteristics that make these physical characteristics pleasurable to see. These physical characteristics could be sight, sound, smell, touch, or an emotional response towards an object. Such objects could be landscapes, sunsets, human faces and beautiful works of art. Beauty, along with other aesthetic factors, is the primary focus of aesthetics, another of the more prominent branches of aesthetics. In general, aesthetics is the study of beauty and its attributes in literature, theater, photography, and other arts. Aesthetic appreciation has also become a part of popular culture, with television shows such as The Bachelor, Modern Family and The Grey’s Anatomy all featuring characters seeking to find and evaluate beauty within their surroundings and/or other people.
The term beauty is generally used in conjunction with the term beauty classifications, which are based on the psychological theory of self-worth. The aesthetic theories of beauty, from Aristotle to Jean Sibelius, on beauty include beauty as the beauty of form, and beauty as the beauty of colors and their relation to one another. According to these theories beauty exists independently of personal possessions and status. Additionally, these theories of beauty attempt to distinguish between genuine beauty and the superficiality of beauty. For instance, while true beauty may be found in nature, the true beauty of a brick wall is not because of the brick’s ability to resist damage, but because of the brick’s connection to the wall as a physical entity and because of its connection to the nature and history of the site where it was found.
In addition to the above-mentioned theories of beauty, there are many others that define beauty beliefs. According to the belief of most modern people, beauty is largely determined by the physical appearance of an individual or group. Therefore, how a person looks physically is usually seen as the standard against which all others are measured, including their personality and abilities. While beauty may sometimes be influenced by culture and society (think of how beauty standards for women differ from those for men), beauty is usually defined by the beholder. In fact, when a person looks at another person or places a label on them, beauty is usually defined by that person themselves.
Some of the other theories about beauty try to describe what beauty really is; however, these theories are more connected to the physical appearance of a person. Most theories of beauty seek to define beauty as the ability of a body or facial feature to catch an observer’s eye or, conversely, the lack of beauty. Most beauty, however, is not determined by physical appearance. People come in all forms and sizes and can physically look ugly; therefore, beauty is a subjective view and not a physical criteria. For this reason, the word beauty varies according to culture and individual preference.
There are several different factors that go into defining the definition of beauty. The idea of beauty, according to many philosophers, is an internal state of balance and harmony, which is why the concept of beauty is often linked with love and marriage. Beauty also includes the ability to be content, happy and fulfilled, as well as the ability to survive, thrive and enjoy life. This idea of beauty also ties into the idea that true beauty is seen in the eyes of others, particularly those who are considered to be leaders, role models and teachers.
The beauty concept is closely tied to many of our deeper cultural beliefs and ideas about what is not beauty. Many of these ideas are not based in science or fact, but are instead based on personal opinion, personal standards and personal experiences. For this reason, beauty is constantly changing as societal standards change and beauty remains a highly subjective experience for each and every individual. No matter what the definition of beauty is for you, consider your own personal beauty and how it relates to your own sense of fulfillment and who you are as a human being.