Beauty Is Not an Ornament to the Good Life, It Is at Its Heart
“I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulgence, it’s not even a quest. I think it’s almost like knowledge, which is to say, it’s what we were born for. I think finding, incorporating and then representing beauty is what humans do. With or without authorities telling us what it is, I think it would exist... See more
Brain Food: Mastery of Oneself
What is beauty?
Symmetry is beautiful, because life blooms in cycles rather than episodes.
Elegance is beautiful, because everything that matters can be described in a few math equations or observed between a few kindergartners.
Contrast is beautiful, because something that lacks an alternative also lacks meaning.
Connection is beautiful, because the s... See more
Symmetry is beautiful, because life blooms in cycles rather than episodes.
Elegance is beautiful, because everything that matters can be described in a few math equations or observed between a few kindergartners.
Contrast is beautiful, because something that lacks an alternative also lacks meaning.
Connection is beautiful, because the s... See more
But if you keep a discipline to the writing of these lists, your attention throughout the day will gravitate towards beauty as you search for things worthy of mention. Your lists will grow longer—but more importantly, it is the subtle shift in your way of seeing that will transform your life.
Toko-pa Turner • Belonging: Remembering Ourselves home
I think there’s a lot of depth to be found in the pursuit of beauty, I just think we tend to underestimate the extent to which our taste can be meaningful, rooted in something true about us, rather than reactive and trend-driven. Lately, when I find myself wanting something new, I’ve been considering whether the lack I’m feeling is more fundamental
... See moreFollowing this, the author identifies four properties of beauty: first, beauty is sacred, it belongs to the realm of divinity, of goodness, of our quest for perfection; second, beauty is unprecedented, in the sense that it is a novel experience for the subject; thirdly, beauty is life-saving; and finally, beauty incites deliberation.