We are surrounded by beauty, but what makes up that beauty? They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as a “beholder” I can’t help but ask a few questions:

What is my definition of beautiful?

Why are some things, people, or places attractive/admirable to me while others are not?

Are there days or seasons when the world seems less beautiful and less attractive? Is that a reflection of inward change or has the world changed in some way?

does the discovery of beauty require an initial recognition of an outer display in order to get to the greater discovery of true beauty within and throughout? 

How much of beauty is unseen?

does unbiased beauty exist?

The overarching question is—how great of a role does the viewer have in determining the beauty of a subject?

If things are beautiful to some and not to others, then beauty is subjective and dependent on the different lenses with which individuals see the world. One has to wonder what creates that lens and if it can be altered, molded, or changed throughout one’s life? Surely, you do not see people, places, or things the same when you are eighty as you once did at fifteen. As life unfolds are our lenses altered or does time simply reveal the true quality of things despite their initial presentation?

We can all agree that there is inner and outer beauty or, rather, conceptual and visual elements at work. That is probably because we have an experience that has clarified the distinction for us. It might have been a family member who defies beauty standards with their heart of gold or a beautiful vacation spot that turned out to be boring and, therefore, less appealing. Trail back to whoever or whatever exemplifies the distinction between aesthetic beauty and substantial beauty. 

The inner beauty or substance of an object seems to either enhance the exterior or diminish it. The exterior hangs in balance while the less-seen elements determine the true quality & beauty.

This is a truth that seems to weave throughout our lives. We are told “don’t judge a book by its cover” or that someone is “beautiful, inside and out”. Our culture admits that the beauty and magnetism of things are not only multidimensional but not easily or immediately exposed and recognized. Somewhere along the way we become forgetful or lazy and stop looking for beauty. We make the recognition of beauty a passive experience based on less-experiential elements.

how do we engage with a world of beauty while recognizing its multifaceted forms? The objects of beauty go beyond people and extend to circumstance, location, and ideas. Can we train our brains to delay our assessment until there is enough time & perspective to properly see the totality of a subject? Should we attempt to unveil our definition of beauty, Or is it easier to accept the reality of our exterior-dominated society and selves?

sometimes we miss out on an experience, insight, or relationship because we are guided by some barometer of beauty that actually robs us. Simply observing our natural attraction or recognition of beauty allows us to see patterns in our “beauty barometers” and adjust patterns that no longer serve us or others.

Let it be our aim to look for beauty instead of passively receive it, to approach every object, circumstance, and place with the knowledge that there is beauty, whether we see it or not. Then it becomes our mission to investigate and search for the beauty, adjusting our lens to recognize it.

Investigate your own definitions and become aware of the lense with which you see the world.let that observation spark insight and maybe an outcome of change. we might find the world to be far more exquisite than we ever thought.