Beauty

[Dream]

What is beauty?

Why are we attracted to some things but drawn back by others?

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then why are there some people/places/things that almost everyone can agree are beautiful?

Do I have any control over what I think is beautiful or must I accept the view the Creator gave to me?

 

[Dream]

You guys must have thinking about this one so hard, you forgot to respond.

 

[Asimis]

It depends, some people like to blame the media for "monopolizing" beauty i.e. favoring one over the other.

Others claim that beauty is the product of Evolution and is seen as a survival adventage because it ensures the reproductive process (or something along those lines).

Do you mean beauty relating to humans or on a more general sense?

 

[Dream]

Do you mean beauty relating to humans or on a more general sense?

Both

 

[ps139]

Why are we attracted to some things but drawn back by others?

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then why are there some people/places/things that almost everyone can agree are beautiful?

This is because there is an objective nature to beauty. This is also why "modern art" is not art at all. Of course people have their tastes, but something that is ugly is ugly, and something beautiful is beautiful.
How can we measure beauty? I do not know if we accurately can, just like we have no scientific instruments to "prove God" exists. In both cases you just know it, and our tools and methods of measurement are not sufficiently developed. Most likely they never will be.

 

[CarolineBlue]

It's hard to understand why God blesses some with Beauty on the outside while others are blessed with Beauty on the inside.
Some are lucky enough to be blessed with both-but IMO of course you're gonna be a nicer person if you think you look good because you will never have had anyone call you ugly or nasty names.

Only God knows why He does what He does though. Life is hell for some and sometimes that is because of their physical looks. They just get used to being treated differently from the "beautiful people".

Way of the world at school then when you get older aswell. Maybe some are just meant to live solitary lives for whatever reason while others play in the sunshine.

WIsh I could ask him myself. I mean I can but He doesn't really answer. They say the answer to everything is in The Bible though-maybe I am just missing it? In which case could someone please direct me to it? Thanks God Bless.

 

[Maggie893]

I believe you will find many references in scripture but they will be fairly consistent in their commentary. God doesn't look at your outward appearance but at your soul. External beauty is actually a stumbling block for most to finding purity of soul. When we put our trust in our external beauty we are trying to appeal to people not God. God cares only for your soul, your body is temporary in it's current form, your soul is eternal.

I recommend that you devote your time and energies to pleasing God, to conforming your heart to His. You will find that as your internal beauty increases you will be more attractive to men particularly those who also have beautiful souls.

Here are a couple of passages:

Ezekiel 28
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
I made a spectacle of you before kings.


1Peter 3:
3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

 

[CrystalBrooke]

beauty comes in all forms...and everyone has it wheather it's physical and appealing to the eye or not. i really doubt our looks impress God, he looks at the soul, and the most beautiful person in the world can still have the ugliest soul.

 

[Carrye]

Have you read any Plato, DT?

 

[Dream]

Have you read any Plato, DT?

Nope.

 

[Carrye]

Oh you should! I'm not versed enough in Plato to make any good recommendations, but hopefully someone else will have a suggestion or two for you. There are ideals for many of the Platonic (and related) philosophers:

One, True, Beautiful, Good ... and a couple of others, I think. You'll get a good sense of the "beauty is not in the eye of the beholder" mentality.

 

[Dream]

Oh you should! I'm not versed enough in Plato to make any good recommendations, but hopefully someone else will have a suggestion or two for you. There are ideals for many of the Platonic (and related) philosophers:

One, True, Beautiful, Good ... and a couple of others, I think. You'll get a good sense of the "beauty is not in the eye of the beholder" mentality.

Hmm. Well, if beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, why do people have a different opinion on what is beautiful?

 

[faerieevaH]

People have different opinions on what is beautiful, that's true, but there are some natural laws that determine to what we are most atracted to. Some of it is biologically triggered (for example: large eyes, which is why anime charrs, and disney charrs are drawn with large eyes), and symetrics also play a different role.
Another part is culturally determined. In most of Africa, European 'model looking' women are considdered way too skinny to be atractive.

 

[ps139]

Hmm. Well, if beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, why do people have a different opinion on what is beautiful?

Same reason that people have different opinions on what is moral. But there is objective morality. And the correctly formed conscience will come to the right moral conclusions. I believe its the same with beauty, except in many cases its not obvious which is "better." I really believe this. But luckily with art and music, your senses and tastes really have no effect on your status with God, so its not such a big deal.

You might try reading Edmud Burke's book on Aesthetics. I've always wanted to read this, I bet he has some good insights. I like the way he thinks.

 

[Dream]

Same reason that people have different opinions on what is moral. But there is objective morality. And the correctly formed conscience will come to the right moral conclusions. I believe its the same with beauty, except in many cases its not obvious which is "better." I really believe this. But luckily with art and music, your senses and tastes really have no effect on your status with God, so its not such a big deal.

I find this to be kind of offensive. I am not somebody of beautiful looks, most people would agree on this. If there really is an objective beauty - something is either beautiful or not, than that means that I was created ugly and anybody who thinks to the contrary is not thinking correctly.

 

[Dream]

People have different opinions on what is beautiful, that's true, but there are some natural laws that determine to what we are most atracted to. Some of it is biologically triggered (for example: large eyes, which is why anime charrs, and disney charrs are drawn with large eyes), and symetrics also play a different role.
Another part is culturally determined. In most of Africa, European 'model looking' women are considdered way too skinny to be atractive.

So does this mean we have no choice to decide what is beautiful?

 

[ps139]

I find this to be kind of offensive. I am not somebody of beautiful looks, most people would agree on this. If there really is an objective beauty - something is either beautiful or not, than that means that I was created ugly and anybody who thinks to the contrary is not thinking correctly.

I did not mean to offend my brother. And I was thinking about architecture and art etc. Im just trying to say that there are some principles out there. Symmetry, proportion, colors matching and blending.. etc... the human mind did not make them up, but it recognizes them. Thats the only point I was trying to make, that beauty is not totally subjective.
Why is this important? Because God is the author of beauty, and in this fallen world we live in we see beauty every now and then, but Heaven will be more beautiful than we can ever imagine. And we will all know that it can't get any better than God.
But lets deal with this. Where is value found in a human being? In the soul, and in the heart. As Scripture says, physical beauty is fleeting.

 

[Dream]

I did not mean to offend my brother.

Of course not. I know you wouldn't intentionally try to offend somebody.

And I was thinking about architecture and art etc. Im just trying to say that there are some principles out there. Symmetry, proportion, colors matching and blending.. etc... the human mind did not make them up, but it recognizes them. Thats the only point I was trying to make, that beauty is not totally subjective.
Why is this important? Because God is the author of beauty, and in this fallen world we live in we see beauty every now and then, but Heaven will be more beautiful than we can ever imagine. And we will all know that it can't get any better than God.

It does make sense, but I still have a hard time believing that. My previous statement regarded human beauty, but it can also be looked at the same way in art. Somebody designs a piece of art that I think is disgusting, while everybody else thinks is absolutely beautiful. Does this mean that I'm just plain wrong? Does this mean I'm mentally disadvantaged because I don't know what beauty is?

The exact same principle can be applied to humans. There is one girl I know that I think is absolutely beautiful. She does not look like a supermodel, but I think she is gorgeous. However, everyone that I've talked to do not see the same beauty as I do. They simply say "she's alright." Does this mean that I am wrong? Am I just delussional? I would have a hard time accepting this fact.

But lets deal with this. Where is value found in a human being? In the soul, and in the heart. As Scripture says, physical beauty is fleeting.

Yes, of course. True beauty comes from within, but that doesn't mean that we should ignore God's gift of physical beauty.

 

[Dream]

^^ I want this point to be addressed ^^

 

[Dream]

Bump