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Thread: beauty

  1. #1
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    beauty

    How could you define beauty? Is beauty in the object or in the eye of the beholder?My religion tells me God is beautiful and He loves beauty.

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    I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder...we all look at things differently, and something can be beautiful to one person and horrifying to the next.

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    Lady of Smilies Nightshade's Avatar
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    Now that would be telling it, wouldnt it?
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    I belive that everything has some beauty in it you just have to look for it. Not really answering the question am I?
    Must confess thoughI cant seem to see anything beautiful in flies!
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    If beauty is only in the eye of the beholder, then anything can be beautiful. Furthermore, when one observer declares an object to be beautiful, and another declares it to be ugly, how are we to judge who is correct, if it is merely a matter of individual perception and taste? We could say that beauty is whatever the majority of observers say it is. This could of course lead to something changing from being beautiful to not being beautiful overnight, which would seem rather odd.

    Surely there must be a set of rules to beauty.
    Faith is believing what you know ain't so - Mark Twain

    The preachers deal with men of straw, as they are men of straw themselves - Henry David Thoreau

    The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason - Benjamin Franklin

    The teaching of the church, theoretically astute, is a lie in practice and a compound of vulgar superstitions and sorcery - Leo Tolstoy

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    rose by another name would smell just as sweet.

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    Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.
    - - - Jacqueline Bisset


    Thought the concept of beauty gets nicely summed up by this quotation.

    To define beauty, I would say aesthetics and symmetry contribute to attractiveness. However, an individual is truly classified as beautiful when their actions, words and behavior shows the beauty in their nature and soul. For example, the physical aspect of 'beauty' is shown by images of models and there are beauty pagents. In this area, physical features, body size as well as vital physical statistics are highlighted. However, in the area of beauty in which one goes beyond the appearance, charity workers, individuals who demonstrate selfless actions and people who fight against oppression (just cause) can be classified as souls with 'beauty'. Example would be Mother Teresa who looked after children who were thrown out by their parents.
    Last edited by amirah_almas; 06-14-2005 at 04:14 AM.

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    <an individual is truly classified as beautiful when their actions, words and behavior shows the beauty in their nature and soul.>

    What about if you don't believe in the soul? Do hard-nosed materialists not have an aesthetic sense?

    <individuals who demonstrate selfless actions>

    Its so difficult to determine what is truly a selfless action. Who can tell the degree of selflessness in Mother Teresa's work. I have read some pretty damning articles of what she did.

    Furthermore, it really isn't easy to determine how much satisfaction and pleasure people get from so-called selfless actions. Can an action be both satisfying and selfless at the same time? Is it not the case that expectation of satisfaction, or at least, a diminshing of dissatisfaction, drives such cases of selflessness? And if it does, then is it truly selfless?
    Faith is believing what you know ain't so - Mark Twain

    The preachers deal with men of straw, as they are men of straw themselves - Henry David Thoreau

    The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason - Benjamin Franklin

    The teaching of the church, theoretically astute, is a lie in practice and a compound of vulgar superstitions and sorcery - Leo Tolstoy

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    Registered User amirah_almas's Avatar
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    To believe or not believe in the soul is not a big deal. The question deals with religion therefore most of the religions I know of deal with the 'soul' concept. Each person is entitled to his/her opinion. I personally had turned totally materialistic and failed to see the beauty in anything. To gain a competitive edge, all things are placed aside. It is only now that I have started to appreciate the beauty in things and people. There would definitely be people who can effectively balance materialistic gains along with admiration for anything appealing either aesthics or visual. As for the 'selfless' act classification, i guess the point really is doing good things for others without any expectations or selfish desires and yet feeling a sense of fulfilment. To feel satisfaction and be selfless, I would say personal experiences would vary. Sometimes to do a good deed and not get appreciation makes one not want to further repeat such actions. I am trying to discuss the concept of 'beauty' which I have learnt from experience.
    Last edited by amirah_almas; 06-14-2005 at 09:51 AM.

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    What is your interpetaion of soul?

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    Registered User amirah_almas's Avatar
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    Later, not going to go into details
    Last edited by amirah_almas; 06-14-2005 at 08:24 PM.

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    essence of a being huh? what on earth does that mean?

    I personally don't think it's very fruitful bringing a spiritual element into aesthetics. Its fuzzy enough already as it is.
    Faith is believing what you know ain't so - Mark Twain

    The preachers deal with men of straw, as they are men of straw themselves - Henry David Thoreau

    The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason - Benjamin Franklin

    The teaching of the church, theoretically astute, is a lie in practice and a compound of vulgar superstitions and sorcery - Leo Tolstoy

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    Lady of Smilies Nightshade's Avatar
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    please define aesthetics
    My mission in life is to make YOU smile
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    "The time has come," the Walrus said,"To talk of many things:

    Forum Rules- You know you want to read 'em

    |Litnet Challange status = 5/260
    |currently reading

  13. #13
    Registered User amirah_almas's Avatar
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    atiguhya padma, i think you are taking this a bit too seriously. I am giving my interpretation of beauty etc not necessarily getting into a debate. I was asked a question in relation to how I would define 'soul' which I did (more from my cultural perspective). The main issue was to discuss 'beauty' and I had already stated everyone is entitled to their opinion. I really can't understand why you are starting some kind of a debate rather than just letting individual views on the question be expressed. I guess at some level you have to respect other people's opinions rather than try to be critical about what they say.

    The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.
    --Aristotle

    Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.

    Edgar Allen Poe
    Last edited by amirah_almas; 06-14-2005 at 08:41 PM.

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    Amirah, why are you so averse to debate? A philosophy literature section without debate, is like saying lets talk about philosophy without philosophy.
    Faith is believing what you know ain't so - Mark Twain

    The preachers deal with men of straw, as they are men of straw themselves - Henry David Thoreau

    The way to see faith is to shut the eye of reason - Benjamin Franklin

    The teaching of the church, theoretically astute, is a lie in practice and a compound of vulgar superstitions and sorcery - Leo Tolstoy

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    When I asked what soul meant to you , it was not for debate. I wanted the writer's conception of soul so that I could gasp the whole of what was being presented . More of a way of honoring than setting up debate.
    There really is no debate of beauty anyhow , because we all have many concepts of it and therefore it can be seen in different things and people. To say one does not believe in beauty is acknowledging beauty exist and then saying I do not believe in it.
    So where the debate beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
    Sorry for any misunderstandings.

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