Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Beauty is a broad concept influenced by subjectivity and objectivity. In philosophy, beauty is interpreted based on the idealistic, classical, love and longing, usefulness, and hedonist conceptions approaches (Sartwell 5). Objectivity includes focusing on a product’s features to determine its beauty. Subjectivity includes defining beauty based on what a person holds to be beautiful. For example, some people consider bright colors beautiful, while others may look at more elements, such as the creativity behind an object and its history. The phrase, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” is often used to justify people’s choice of the things they possess and to whom they relate. It suggests that beauty does not exist independently but is created by the person observing it by paying attention to specific attributes such as color, shape, and texture. However, beauty is not solely defined by how something looks but by how it is a personal subjective interpretation of encounters and observations influenced by the five senses, emotions, and worldly influences or views.

Personal Subjectivity of Beauty

According to Jaarsveld, perceptions are developed from the stimuli from the environment received through a person’s five senses (67). The senses include taste, sound, smell, touch, and sight. Therefore, the five senses are vital in shaping how people perceive beauty. For instance, smell is an individualistic sense connected to personal experiences. Everyone has an individualistic and unique sense of smell that influences their interpretation of beauty. For example, some people may consider a place beautiful because it has a good scent or access to fresh air. Smell may also stimulate the imagination of pleasant memories, thus influencing a person’s perception of beauty. For example, if a smell evokes good memories, it may be considered beautiful, and anything associated with the smell, such as colors and flowers, may also be regarded as beautiful.

Sight and taste can create and evoke memorable effects, thus impacting a person’s perception of beauty. For instance, if a person comes across a type of food or drink they have seen before and read about its history, they are more likely to taste it and conclude whether it is great based on the information they have reviewed about it. People can also evaluate an object’s texture using taste, thus appreciating the innovation behind its production, influencing their opinion on whether the object is beautiful. Drinks and foods that are more appealing to look at are also more likely to be perceived as beautiful. Hearing influences a person’s perception of beauty based on sounds linked to a beautiful memory. For example, most people connect the message of an orchestra to the sound produced by the instruments to conclude whether the music is beautiful or not. The sound may also evoke memories based on the soothing impact of the beats or the history of the sound. For instance, clear sounds that bring good memories and evoke strong emotions may be considered beautiful.

Further, worldly views and experiences impact how people view the things around them, thus influencing their perception of beauty. Over the past decade, social media has shaped people’s perception of beauty (Henriques and Patnaik 3). Access to information about a specific object can determine a person’s interest in the object and their conclusion on whether the product is beautiful or not. For example, most ancient products are considered beautiful based on the story behind their production, those who possessed them, and their value to the associated community. Information about an object may also evoke specific emotions, thus influencing a person’s attitude toward the object. For instance, objects that evoke a sense of pride may be considered beautiful because they create a feeling of satisfaction.

Worldly experiences also influence people’s attitudes towards an object, thus influencing their overall preference or liking. For instance, objects linked to negative experiences, such as child labor, may not be considered beautiful no matter how good they look because they have a negative background. The link between worldly views and experiences and the perception of beauty is also evident in the impact of culture on what people consider beautiful. According to Madan et al., cultures with a strong interdependence highly prefer features that enhance appearance (11). For example, they may focus on features such as color and the level of creativity depicted in a product. Therefore, worldly views and experiences may impact people from different cultures differently based on the impact of cultural norms on behavior.

Conclusion

Beauty is a broad concept that should be reviewed based on various angles, including people’s senses, emotions, worldly views, and experiences. However, there is a need to consider different approaches to the concept to expand the idea that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. It is important to review what philosophical approaches suggest to determine the limitations of the assumption that beauty is determined by the person possessing an object and offer alternative perceptions of beauty. Future studies should also consider the most fundamental elements in perceiving beauty to justify the different perceptions people have about what meets the criteria of being beautiful.

Works Cited

Henriques, Mavis, and Debasis Patnaik. “Social Media and Its Effects on Beauty.” Beauty – Cosmetic Science, Cultural Issues and Creative Developments, 2021, p. 3. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93322.

Jaarsveld, Karien. “The Effect of the Senses on the Perception of a Brand.” Stellenbosch University, 2010, p. 67.

Madan, Shilpa, et al. “Impact of Culture on the Pursuit of Beauty: Evidence from Five Countries.” Journal of International Marketing, 2018, p. 11. https://doi.org/10.1509/jim.17.0064.

Sartwell, Crispin. “Beauty.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 22 Mar. 2022, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauty/.

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

Write an argument of definition about a term that has suddenly become culturally significant or recently changed in some important way. Either defend the way the term has come to be defined or raise questions about its appropriateness, offensiveness, accuracy, etc. Consider words or expressions such as misinformation, ally, big tech/big data, marginalization, etc.

Please use the following topic:
*The topic will be about how beauty is not solely defined by how something looks but how it is a personal, subjective interpretation of encounters and observations influenced by the five senses, emotions, and worldly influences/views.

*Reproductive rights, religion, anything COVID-19-related, gun rights, and anything political or emotionally charged are not allowed as topics.

◦The first step is to understand what a definition argument is and, thus, to understand the assignment. Your topic must have definitions that are CONTESTED. You cannot begin writing until you know what the COMPETING definitions of your topic are. Your essay will likely fail if, for instance, you only represent the views of those who are ardent supporters of one definition.
◦The next step is to read widely and listen, if appropriate, to arguments about whatever topic you are choosing.

◦Then, invent a thesis and make a claim. Your body paragraphs should be defending your claim, not simply giving me information. Check body paragraphs for topic sentences followed by sentences that support the topic sentence. Go back to your introduction paragraph. Does it a) establish kairos and b) establish exigence? Does it end with the thesis statement? Review your final paragraph. Does it repeat what you already wrote in the essay (bad)? Does it point to the future of the issue (good)? Make an outline if it helps you. Be sure to use sentence templates at least three times in your essay.
Write with correct grammar and tone, and use academic conventions of writing. So, no using I/me/my/you/your/we/us, etc. anywhere in the paper; do not use contractions (write words out. For example, “Do not” instead of “don’t), etc.

DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS ANYWHERE. THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION MARKS NECESSARY TO YOUR ESSAY. NONE. ZERO. NOT EVEN RHETORICAL QUESTIONS.