I believe that beauty is a feeling of resonance. What we define as beautiful is not in the ābeautifulā thing itself but instead in how it makes us feel. I think that this is the alignment of said beautiful things with your emotions, values, and memories to form feelings of comfort and pleasure. Whether this āsomethingā be an image, a moment, person, or a sound, it should resonate with us . This is why I agree with David Hume about beauty being subjective. What resonates with one may not resonate with another because we all have unique experiences, perspectives, sensory sensitivities, memories, and desires. As Hume says, beauty is based on the sensations created by something - beauty is not something quantitative with a set criteria, but is instead an immeasurable interaction between self and the thing we feel is beautiful.Ā
However, there are many things the vast majority of people would agree to be beautiful. The explanation for this can be found in commonly felt senses, emotions, and memories - or common resonances. In this belief, I agree with Kant (to an extent). The human mind works in certain ways in all people. Flowers, for example, are widely known as beautiful. The first reason for this is how they appeal to us through our senses. The bright colours and the (oftentimes) symmetrical shapes create a visual that feels pleasant and calming. The human brain finds comfort in symmetry. The sweet scents also add to the positive sensory experience. We make a judgement of a flowerās beauty based on the way, as Kant would say, our minds process these senses. Flowers are also oftentimes used as a symbol of congratulation, love, and gratitude. We see this in their use in graduation ceremonies, weddings, and birthdays. This can create feelings of positive resonance, which is what I define beauty as. Additionally, flowers are temporary - though their lifespans vary depending on the type of flower, cut flowers have an average lifespan of around 5 to 12 days.Ā
I think that a limited time frame and rarity adds to what we perceive to be beautiful because humans are masters of adaptation. We become used to things quickly and easily. Even if the thing we find beautiful remains constant, we can become numb to it if we are around it all the time. Itās like a beautiful things supply and demand, of sorts. Rarity allows us to be hyperaware and remain sensitive to the beautiful things around us.Ā
Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. Stay alert or you may miss all the beauty that surrounds you!
