Beauty Matters

What is beauty? Can we truly define it? We know it when we see it, so does that mean beauty is found only in the eyes of the beholder? What is beauty to one may not be so to the next?

Can we agree on anything about beauty except that we need it in our lives?

I am not talking about good looking women, handsome men, or lovely children. I am talking about the quality of some thing, some place, some view, some structure, some sound that touches a place deep inside us when we look at it or hear it.

Beauty nourishes us, touches our soul, and evokes an inner appreciative state. It stops us in the moment and delivers the experience of wonder and awe. It transcends time, culture, and language. It embraces us in a temporary safe harbor, free from crowded urban life, the job commute, conflict, politics, and the overall stresses of life and work.

Plato said, the contemplation of beauty causes the soul to grow wings.

Tagore wrote that beauty is truth’s smile when she beholds her own face in a perfect mirror.

André Aciman opined that under the spell of beauty, we experience a rare condition called plenitude, where we want for nothing.

Perhaps we cannot define beauty in absolute or undeniable terms. Let’s examine instead how beauty matters in our lives.

Abraham Maslow famously identified a hierarchy of human needs [physiological, safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization]. Yet we as individuals and as a society also require beauty and art, i.e., aesthetics, to nurture inner fulfillment and overall well-being.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike. This natural beauty-hunger is made manifest in the little window-sill gardens of the poor, though perhaps only a geranium slip in a broken cup, as well as in the carefully tended rose and lily gardens of the rich, the thousands of spacious city parks and botanical gardens, and in our magnificent National parks — the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, etc. — Nature's sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world. ~John Muir

Where can we find beauty? Everywhere – the symmetry of flower petals – the order and balance of a sparrow’s nest – the simplicity and elegance of an eagle’s flight – the lines and proportions of a master work of art – the rhythm and harmony of an elegant piece of music – the light and color palette of a sunset on the water – the open space of a yawning canyon – the flight pattern of migrating birds – the texture and scale of an ancient cathedral – anywhere we think to look and appreciate.

Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. ~Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

How can you incorporate beauty into your life in a bigger way? Here are some thoughts.

Declutter your living space and get rid of what doesn’t add to your life – you’ll free your psyche of deadwood and make room for beauty to enter.
Put cut flowers in a vase where you will see them throughout the day, whether in your kitchen or office – a splash of color and vibrancy brightens any room.
Take more walks in natural surroundings, such as the woods, the beach, a large park – the air is cleaner, your mind and body can rejuvenate.
Spend the day in a museum or art gallery – who knows, it may spark a new hobby.
Go listen to live orchestral music – your town may have a community orchestra.
Visit state or national parks to break from your day-to-day life – it will free you to explore and appreciate them in a special way.
Look for beauty wherever your travels take you – perhaps a building with Baroque or Gothic architecture – a majestic deer – a magnificent sculpture – whatever you love to encounter.