Beauty is only skin deep?
There is a superficial, aesthetic beauty—subjective, in the eye of the beholder. It can be ostentatious, signalling status and material wealth—if I can afford it, I can make myself beautiful on the outside. But saying beauty is only skin deep is the same as saying beauty starts and ends on the outside, whereas such superficial beauty can only really be part of something greater. While we appreciate aesthetic beauty, it is just one of its forms, as fleeting as it is.
Deeper beauty
We are not searching for such beauty, visible on the surface—one doesn’t need to search for that which is in plain sight—we are searching for deeper beauty.
What sets us apart? Fundamental values, like honour and truth, to which beauty surely belongs—values that reside, like potential energy, in every human being. True beauty then, starts on the inside.
How does this beauty manifest itself, when it cannot be seen per se? It’s our intention to explore this question. Some aspects are already clear:
- It goes by many names; good and meaningful names.
- It is universal and, as a virtue, unchanging.
- It is colorful and full of life!
- humans are capable of turning what’s inside into amazing expressions of creativity.
Natural beauty
So far, so much about people. But what about nature? Regarding beauty: a breathtaking sunset, the dawn chorus in full swing, holding a newborn baby—these could be called beautiful moments. Nature is incredible and can exude aesthetic beauty; but this is not superficial, nor are we mere passive observers. We are caught up in a scene, often unexpectedly; our perception transcends that of the naked eye—the mind, the intellect, the heart, are all engaged at once and we know and feel our relation to nature—we are an integral part of it.
Sometimes, the scene is over quickly, all the more powerful for its brevity, and sometimes we can rest awhile and drink it all in.
Beauty and the passage of time
Beauty is not a binary phenomenon, switchable on and off. It is much more subtle—growing and atrophying. The scented rose is more beautiful than its rosebud but, for the organic, decay is inevitable.
Deeper beauty though, is not destined to fade with time. Consider this: can our resilience and contentment not increase, as we go through life’s ups and downs? Does our wisdom not grow as we confront life’s many challenges?
How do we decide to live? What choices put us on, or return us to, the path of beauty? Surely our laughter lines are beautiful when we smile, but also the warmth and acceptance that flows from them. Thus, we are beautiful and becoming beautiful.
In summary, beauty is inside us, in ways we have not yet recognized; it is all around us, in others and in nature; and, in opening the eyes of our heart, we are on a journey of discovery—in search of beauty.
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little PrinceHe has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:11