Why Beauty?

The other day, I said we should not be satisfied with the cliche idea that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Why not? Because it is overused. It is superficial. It shuts down discussion instead of spurring it on.

Thankfully, over the centuries many people have not been satisfied with “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Because people like Immanuel Kant, Albert Einstein, Margaret Mead, John Berger, Maria Popova, Plato, EO Wilson, David Hume, and Denis Dutton have theorized about where our ideas of beauty come from, we have a richer understanding of the term. We also have greater insight into the workings of life and the universe. And we have a deeper understanding of ourselves.

If you have never been curious about beauty before, if you have never wondered why some things strike you in powerful ways, well, it’s time to wonder.

In the end, it can only extend your thinking and make your world more vibrant. After all, this is what learning provides.