Pondering Beauty

Since I'm feeling particularly philosophical at the moment, I believe I shall attempt to establish my thought patterns on the subjectivity/objectivity of beauty.

I think beauty is subjectively objective. Am I riding the fence by saying that? Maybe so, but then most issues have relevant points on both sides.

First, my dictionary defines beauty as a combination of shape, color, sound, etc. that pleases the senses. After reading that definition, my instincts would be to say that beauty is definitely subjective since different things please different people. Everybody would probably agree that a sunset is beautiful (objectivity). But then, how can one person just briefly glance at it, feel a moment of pleasure, and go on about his business while the second person is so awed by it that he must stop and gaze a while?

Now the objectivity in beauty to me is the fact that God created all these things and the beauty is there all along whether I subjectively perceive it or not. The beauty becomes more readily apparant as one peels back the layers of obscurity. The second thing I see in the objectivity is that humans tend to naturally appreciate things more that have a sense of balance and order which I believe is a God-trait.

On the other hand, I think that every person is "socialized" into perceiving some things as beautiful and others as not. Most particularly, this would apply to physical appearances or even fashion. Really ponder the trends of fashion over the years--it is standards thrust upon society which you either accept to be "in" or reject and become a "nerd" to society at large. I really don't perceive the newest "shaggy" trend as being beautiful, but it sure seems to be taking a hold on society. '70s here we come!

On further reflection of my own tastes and what pleases me, I find that knowledge plays a great part in what tickles my senses. The more knowledge I have of an object, the more I perceive it as being beautiful.

Here are some rather humble examples:

I have always appreciated interior decorating and find some things beautiful and others rather distasteful. But I have never appreciated the beauty of it as much as after I decorated my own house. If I walked into my kitchen never having seen it before I'd think that was some nice wallpaper (as many people think on seeing it for the first time). But, knowing that it isn't wallpaper but, rather, paint artfully applied to the walls in a painstaking manner to get just the right look--I find the walls much more pleasing to the senses.

On a more scientific level--the more I study the body and the way all the cells work together to make a working person, the more beautiful I find the body is. I see the common zit and no longer see it as just a disfiguring mark on the face. I think--inflammation of sebaceous gland in the integumentary system. I think of the way that beautiful body is going to respond on the cellular level to eliminate the bacteria via macrophages.....ok, I know that may bore you....but there is the subjectivity--I think it's beautiful.

Or how about a concrete floor. To me it's just a floor. It just doesn't please my senses to think about how they take stones and mix it with various materials, add water and make something hard. It's just an ugly floor to me. But that doesn't mean some male of the concrete industry can't look at that same floor and think what a beautiful job somebody did on that.

So I must conclude that beauty is subjective because it's based on an individual's perception. Conversely, beauty is objective because it's still there whether we appreciate it or not. The challenge is to find the ability or desire to see the beauty in the ordinary.