Define Beauty?

Question

Pretty self explanatory. How do you differentiate what is beautiful from what is ugly? Can this be expressed in words? What is the most beautiful thing in the universe to you?

Answer 1

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but, Plato, thought of beauty as a "Form" ... ie., as a concept, or as an abstract "quality" that is intangible and invisible to our human eyes. A sort of "beautiful-ness" if you will.

And I tend to agree.

Everyone on here has offered you their opinions of what they think beauty to be (though, some answers resemble each other). But no one has been able to clearly and definitively define it.

A beautiful woman, a beautiful day, a beautiful piece of jewelery, a beautiful person (inner beauty, or beautiful intellect), etc., may all be beautiful: but WHAT is it exactly that makes each of these beautiful. There are the obvious answers: ie., beautiful jewelery may be cut a certain way; a beautiful person may be seen as beautiful because of his or her kindness, etc.

But there is a certain "quality" that each of these things share that make each of them "beautiful".

Now, do I know precisely what this "quality" is? No. I guess the closest we can come to explaining "beauty" is that beautiful things transcend aesthetics. Beauty is pleasing to the eye. But it also warms the heart, revitalizes the soul with a sense of youthfulness and hope. It may be that we love beautiful things because they are closely connected with love. And love is among the things people want most.

In the end, I'm still not REALLY sure. It's a fascinating idea to think about, though.

What do you think?

Answer 2

Beauty makes the eye glad and heart soar.

But beauty & ugly can often be dictated by the dictates of the socially accepted mores in that particular time. Just think about beauty in the time of the renaissance. Very different from today - at that time, rounded bodies were considered beautiful, and thin was considered ugly.

In other words, I think that the concept of beauty today is dictated by what is portrayed in the media as beautiful.

Each person, I think, needs to define for themselves what is beautiful to them: indeed "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

The most beautiful thing in the universe to me is the look on a new mother's face holding her infant for the first time. - a privilege to see this.

Thanks for the interesting question.

Answer 3

The old cliche: Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Therefore, even when there is a thing of beauty, not everybody will see it. Beauty, as a term, is applied to both tangible and intangible things (for example, what a beautiful thought!), the line between what is beautiful and what is not can be distinguishable for things we can see. A beautiful actress (whether she is white, black, Asian) normally has certain features (large, bright eyes, full lips, flawless complexion, high cheek bones, for example) that are universally considered as beautiful. Therefore, the point is: certain traits and attributes of objects in question are universally accepted as being beautiful or otherwise. Words to describe beauty are often applied to specific object/situation. I find her the most beautiful - pouting lips, sensuous smile, irresistible scent of a woman, and her heavenly embrace.................

Answer 4

Every thing that you love is beautiful and everything that you hates is ugly. A child is the most beautiful creation in this universe. Child of any creature looks beautiful.

Answer 5

so to speak from my limited understanding of things around me, one attribute of beauty is symmetry. but it's a subjective experience. as they say often "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". what appeals to me may not appeal to another person. "ugly" can be anything that's messy, irregular, an anomaly, something in disarray or simply weird.

most beautiful "thing" in the universe..hmm, i have not gone beyond the country leave the universe. as far as earth is concerned i love and consider a colorful flower in full bloom to be the most attractive and beautiful thing. but if you are referring to a person then i will pick a smiling child. NOTE: there is a stress on smiling here.

Answer 6

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty"
- John Keats.

According to me, Beauty is a wholeness of anything which elevates your spirit.

Some examples:
Pretty face, Perfect physique, Good health, Cleanliness, Devotion, Sportiveness, Children, Nature, Universe, Flowers, Affection, Love, Friendship, family, etc.

Beauty can be seen even in a physically challenged person, when he/she is enough better in their ownself, their attitude and when coped up with the daily life and its practical inconviniences efficiently and effectively.

Beauty can be observed in every task which is done perfectly and purposefully.

Ugly is a word which suits better for 'evil' aspects rather than 'opposite of beauty'.

Some examples:
Jealousy, Fraudness, Illegal manners, Worst attitudes, etc.


The MOST BEAUTIFUL THING in the universe to me is.....
'THE UNIVERSE' itself, the life in the universe, the spirit, the birds, the flowers, the mountains, the falls, the valleys,...... mmmm..... everything. I enjoy all of these amazing and fabulous gifts of God.

Answer 7

Food for the soul?

Mammals seem to have the cerebral circuitary to feel emotions, and humans above all are good at that. How that emerged, I would say it's kind of good luck. Living creatures have the primary goal of survival, but somewhere in biological history, being able to appreciate beauty became necessary. Now humans are capable of dying for beauty, survival is no longer the primary goal.

Answer 8

Beuty is that which causes the mind to be pleasant by seeing.
It can be internal or external. While the physical article may be external, the perception is internal.
The most beautiful thing is the creation as a whole to me.

Answer 9

Beauty in a broader sense is that which pleases our senses and freshens and brightens our mind. Ugly is that which is unpleasant to our senses and disturbing and darkening to our mind.

For me the most beautiful thing in this universe is the loving and happy embrace of my only child.

Answer 10

the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations. basically, something that makes you go, "awe." the most beautiful thing I've ever seen is my baby sisters being born. most would say "um, you're sick for even thinking that" but it's what i saw beyond the slime and junk. i saw life. whether it's life in the rising sun or the sound of rain hitting the tree tops, it's life and to me that's a beautiful thing.