Beyond Beauty Essay

840 Words4 Pages
In today’s society, the definition of the word, “beautiful” has been exploited. This statement which has such beauty to simply it’s meaning, has been taken by Americans, and twisted into a standard of comparison. When this “beauty ideal,” is not achieved it can cause resentment and dissatisfaction. However, this implication and feelings of worthlessness can be avoided, if we we’re all to take a step back, and grasp the true meaning of beauty. Beauty does not only lie within a human’s appearance as we perceive it to; beauty is all around us, and even within us. The Merriam Webster Online Dictionary defines beauty as “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.” In all dictionaries, the definition of beauty is complex, but also legitimate on a number of aesthetic levels. It's not even a matter of sensitivity or values; beauty can reside in something as seemingly trivial as a tiny leaf, floating down a quiet, sparkling stream. Perhaps more to the point, beauty resides everywhere you wish to find it. A closer scrutiny of the definition of beauty reveals that there are certain venues and degrees into which we allocate the identification of beauty. The experience of "beauty" frequently involves the understanding of some entity as being in harmony and balance with nature, which can at times, lead to feelings of emotional well-being or attraction. Because beauty can be such a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In general, this phrase means that different people will perceive different things as beautiful and that the differences of opinion don't really matter. In its most profound sense, beauty may provoke a relevant experience of positive reflection about the gist of one's own existence. A topic of beauty is anything that resonates
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