Why is beauty so important?

[tomarin]

Lately I’ve been wondering why we value beauty, in people and in things, so highly. If it’s only skin-deep as we say, why do we seem to regard it so highly and privilege it? Why for example are the people who read the news on television almost always so good-looking? Is our tendency to be beguiled by beauty a flaw of some sort?

What do you think?

 

[GEddie]

What we regard as beauty in the human body is a sign of strength and wellbeing. Beautiful human beings are reassuring to us. IMNAAHO

ICXC NIKA

 

[johnnyjones]

Lately I’ve been wondering why we value beauty, in people and in things, so highly. If it’s only skin-deep as we say, why do we seem to regard it so highly and privilege it? Why for example are the people who read the news on television almost always so good-looking? Is our tendency to be beguiled by beauty a flaw of some sort?

What do you think?

Of course there’s the old psychology of asymetrical faces taping into some primordial wiring but I see your point.

I think it comes down to desire. Few want to look at something that is not pleasing. If you notch it up to the visuals of a human to human it becomes more intense. The value, hmmm. I would say just like money excites and feels good to many, it becomes desireable. Switch this concept to beauty which is ultimately connected to sex.

What bothers me are the privledges most are afforded because of their looks. People fall at their feet in some cases. I’m thinking as I’m writing. There is more to say about this but I can’t put my finger on it yet.

 

[OxygenMan]

Lately I’ve been wondering why we value beauty, in people and in things, so highly. If it’s only skin-deep as we say, why do we seem to regard it so highly and privilege it? Why for example are the people who read the news on television almost always so good-looking? Is our tendency to be beguiled by beauty a flaw of some sort?

What do you think?

There’s nothing wrong with valuing a person’s beauty. The problems start coming up when people place too much value on it. Then they start to disregard people who they don’t find beautiful, or they start to see the older people as being less valuable. People shouldn’t hold their beauty as the only thing worthwhile about themselves, since that beauty will be gone soon enough.

 

[meltzerboy]

Social psychologists have found that we associate beauty in humans with intelligence and even morality. The latter may be culturally influenced in that the beautiful princess and handsome prince are always contrasted with the evil, sinister witch or monster in children’s fairy tales. Old movies, definitely not politically correct according to modern standards, would often portray wicked people as physically disabled. But why that should be the case in the first place is thought-provoking.

 

[mommy_k]

Of course there’s the old psychology of asymetrical faces taping into some primordial wiring but I see your point.

I think it comes down to desire. Few want to look at something that is not pleasing. If you notch it up to the visuals of a human to human it becomes more intense. The value, hmmm. I would say just like money excites and feels good to many, it becomes desireable. Switch this concept to beauty which is ultimately connected to sex.

What bothers me are the privledges most are afforded because of their looks. People fall at their feet in some cases. I’m thinking as I’m writing. There is more to say about this but I can’t put my finger on it yet.

I can telll you that beauty is a blessing and a curse too- too many to list here.
Mommy K

 

[tomarin]

Social psychologists have found that we associate beauty in humans with intelligence and even morality. The latter may be culturally influenced in that the beautiful princess and handsome prince are always contrasted with the evil, sinister witch or monster in children’s fairy tales. Old movies, definitely not politically correct according to modern standards, would often portray wicked people as physically disabled. But why that should be the case in the first place is thought-provoking.

Ah, the Dick Tracy effect.

 

[Evan]

I would say that, being one of the 4 transcendentals, we recognize a small part of what God has in store for us.

God has infinite beauty, truth, love, unity.

Your description of beauty seems to stop at visual beauty. But humans also treasure beauty in Sound, Odor, Touch, and Taste.

We also delight in knowing truth, being loved and in loving, and in being part of a larger communities.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Beauty is so important simply because it gives us pleasure. We never destroy a thing of beauty, whereas we gladly destroy anything ugly. Great music we cherish and preserve. Ugly music perishes, or is kept alive only as a relic of how ugly music can be. Ugly (wounded) souls may find ugly music pleasurable.

 

[meltzerboy]

Beauty is so important simply because it gives us pleasure. We never destroy a thing of beauty, whereas we gladly destroy anything ugly. Great music we cherish and preserve. Ugly music perishes, or is kept alive only as a relic of how ugly music can be. Ugly (wounded) souls may find ugly music pleasurable.

However, talking about the history of music, sometimes what was once considered ugly is now considered beautiful. Besides, beauty is often in the eye (and ear) of the beholder.

 

[detoutcoeur]

*“Beauty reveals God.” Cardinal Danneels

The place and the time on earth that we most truly encounter Beauty, indeed when we participate in Beauty, is the Sacred Liturgy. For the fullness of Beauty is the Lord Jesus Himself, in whom “the fullness of deity resides in bodily form” (Col 2:9). The mystical life of heaven inaugurated by Christ — which we cannot see — is made visible in the beauty of the Eucharistic celebration.
*
catholicnewsagency.com/resources/roman-missal-3rd-edition/bishops/part-one-beauty-reveals-god/

 

[lizaanne]

We have been created as sensual beings - we derive pleasure and enjoyment from experiencing what God has created, and He has created a truly beautiful world and beautiful people!! God wants us to be happy - if this were not the case, He would not have given us things in His creation that give us pleasure and happiness, just by experiencing them.

When we experience and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation, we acknowledge Him, and we are reaffirmed of Him in creation.

Appreciating beauty is part of what we are and what we do as God’s people. However, as a fallen people (due to original sin), we always have the capacity to abuse this aspect of our humanity.

All things in moderation — just like every single other thing in life.

~Liza

 

[Pugsly]

Lately I’ve been wondering why we value beauty, in people and in things, so highly. If it’s only skin-deep as we say, why do we seem to regard it so highly and privilege it? Why for example are the people who read the news on television almost always so good-looking? Is our tendency to be beguiled by beauty a flaw of some sort?

What do you think?

Beauty is something in proper order…it gives delight. God is the source of all order. If I see a particularly attractive person…I try to remember to give God some praise.

Fulton Sheen once said something to the effect that…“physical beauty is the gift that God gets back the least”…and the beautiful woman that he was talking to…went to work with lepers in order to give her beauty to God.

 

[AlTheCollegeGal]

However, talking about the history of music, sometimes what was once considered ugly is now considered beautiful. Besides, beauty is often in the eye (and ear) of the beholder.

I completely agree with this; I think that the phrase “ugly souls may enjoy ugly music” to be very questionable. I don’t think that anyone is capable of gauging a soul’s beauty, nor as meltzerboy has so articulately put it, finding beauty in music is rather subjective.

 

[Pugsly]

I completely agree with this; I think that the phrase “ugly souls may enjoy ugly music” to be very questionable. I don’t think that anyone is capable of gauging a soul’s beauty, nor as meltzerboy has so articulately put it, finding beauty in music is rather subjective.

Music is the ordering of sounds…Disordered personalities are very often “at home” with disordered environments and disordered sound…for example…the angry might like angry music.
For example…When Lyndon Johnson’s “war on poverty” led to the government seeking out to reward single, black mothers of broken homes with lots of money…and this led to a demographic explosion of young black boys being raised without fathers in the home…and the resulting rage led to the popularity of Rap Music. I would not then call Rap Music a development in more orderly and creative “music”…but rather an ugly, primal outcry of social anguish.

Music is related to order just as Beauty is to Truth.

 

[Charlemagne_II]

Melterboy

**However, talking about the history of music, sometimes what was once considered ugly is now considered beautiful. Besides, beauty is often in the eye (and ear) of the beholder. **

An example might be helpful. Are you thinking of Stravinsky, for example?

I didn’t say beauty is not in the eye and ear of the beholder. What I said or implied was that some beholders do not recognize beauty when they see it, and sometimes they mistake the ugly for the beautiful. A disordered soul is specially vulnerable to seeing beauty in that which is ugly. Dissonant, violent and really loud music is often embraced by people on drugs.

 

[meltzerboy]

Music is the ordering of sounds…Disordered personalities are very often “at home” with disordered environments and disordered sound…for example…the angry might like angry music.
For example…When Lyndon Johnson’s “war on poverty” led to the government seeking out to reward single, black mothers of broken homes with lots of money…and this led to a demographic explosion of young black boys being raised without fathers in the home…and the resulting rage led to the popularity of Rap Music. I would not then call Rap Music a development in more orderly and creative “music”…but rather an ugly, primal outcry of social anguish.

Music is related to order just as Beauty is to Truth.

I’m sorry but I don’t agree with your hypothesis. There are different kinds of rap and hip-hop music, including Christian and Jewish hip-hop, as well as several secular varieties. And rap music is not confined to young black boys raised without fathers in the home, but is also enjoyed by white youth who live in affluent suburban neighborhoods in two-parent households. Further, there is a long history of protest music, including folk, rock, punk, and even classical music, which incorporate styles different from rap music.

 

[Pugsly]

I’m sorry but I don’t agree with your hypothesis. There are different kinds of rap and hip-hop music, including Christian and Jewish hip-hop, as well as several secular varieties. And rap music is not confined to young black boys raised without fathers in the home, but is also enjoyed by white youth who live in affluent suburban neighborhoods in two-parent households. Further, there is a long history of protest music, including folk, rock, punk, and even classical music, which incorporate styles different from rap music.

I knew someone would rush to the defense of Rap. The historical roots of Rap Music will expose many young FATHERLESS men with a chip on their shoulder. However, where the genre went from there is fascinating…as you’ve pointed out.

 

[meltzerboy]

I knew someone would rush to the defense of Rap. The historical roots of Rap Music will expose many young FATHERLESS men with a chip on their shoulder. However, where the genre went from there is fascinating…as you’ve pointed out.

Don’t get me wrong. I personally don’t care for rap or hip-hop; classical and folk music are my favorite genres.

 

[Pugsly]

Don’t get me wrong. I personally don’t care for rap or hip-hop; classical and folk music are my favorite genres.

Before I wrote a book on the collapse of Western civilization…I spent many hours studying the lyrics and origons of Rap Music…and I was shocked at the common thread that ran through the early Rap scene…(no matter what race or nationality)…the “singers” were all FATHERLESS from an early age.