Beauty

I'm just saying that there are objective criteria for beauty, as well as anything that is tangible. But it is subjective in the way that each person perceives those objective qualities differently.

What are these examples of objective beauty?

Well, for example, you could take something that lot's of people consider to be beautiful. After finding said thing you could make objective observations about it that evaluate it's beauty.

Ahhh, I love this question. It's one of those things that puzzles me to no end, but I'm gonna take my best shot. I would have to say that one's concept of beauty comes from an endless combination of evaluations that our categorizing minds create. It is impossible to approach things objectively because our minds compare and categorize everything we experience whether we realize it or not. As someone said before, things may be beautiful in comparison to something else, but would we consider said thing beautiful if it were all we ever saw? In addition, everyone's idea of beauty is different. Granted, you could probably go out on a limb and say that there are some things that could be considered "universally beautiful," but it is extremely doubtful there there are two people on the planet who have the exact same idea of beauty. I tend to feel that the concept of beauty is one of nature's many paradoxes, kind of like personality, no one can explain where it comes from and everyones is different.

Factually I remain correct. All answers have led to defining beauty as subjective superiority.

Beauty is something that launches itself instantaneously in your mind, without invading it.

Ahhh, I love this question. It's one of those things that puzzles me to no end, but I'm gonna take my best shot. I would have to say that one's concept of beauty comes from an endless combination of evaluations that our categorizing minds create. It is impossible to approach things objectively because our minds compare and categorize everything we experience whether we realize it or not. As someone said before, things may be beautiful in comparison to something else, but would we consider said thing beautiful if it were all we ever saw? In addition, everyone's idea of beauty is different. Granted, you could probably go out on a limb and say that there are some things that could be considered "universally beautiful," but it is extremely doubtful there there are two people on the planet who have the exact same idea of beauty. I tend to feel that the concept of beauty is one of nature's many paradoxes, kind of like personality, no one can explain where it comes from and everyones is different.

This is why I thought it would be a nice one to ask. I knew there would be lots of different answers and perspectives.

Factually I remain correct. All answers have led to defining beauty as subjective superiority.

Hmm... I still disagree. I just don't like that word in this context, 'superior'. Beauty is relative, meaning that, by your def, the superiority that each person sees is different. Which also means that none of the 'superior' qualities are actually superior because, like beauty, as included in the def of beauty, superiority is also relative. Not saying that superiority itself is relative, just that if beauty>superiority, which it would need to be for your def to work, than superiority would have the same qualities as beauty and would be relative.

Isidorus,

Beauty is something that launches itself instantaneously in your mind, without invading it.

Hmm... So would it be more of a feeling that a system of thoughts?

Between a scale of 1 - 10 where would you rank the "babe" above? Compare to another she might only be given a 5. Even if she is judged alone, she will still classified as beautiful.

Something does not have to be superior or impeccable in order for it to be classed as beautiful.

Thus, a simple definition of beauty is: beauty is defined as something that is visually appeasing to the viewer.

That being said, most humans follow a certain built-in mode used to determine beauty.Something which is visually appeasing, stimulating or a source of euphoria would be based on its: symmetry, blends of colors, age, contours and dimensions.

There have been numerous studies of babies around the world, which strongly suggest that babies react positively to "attractive" human faces, and negatively to "unnattractive" faces.

Preferences for specific facial proportions--certain relative distances between features, overall symmetry, visibly "healthy" skin, etc.--seem to suggest that there are certain, universal, human "standards" for "attractiveness"...

Keith, I'd like to know more about these experiments. Can you point me to any literature on the subject?

What criteria was used to judge a baby's positive or negative reaction? Smiling? Laughing? Crying? Looking away in disgust?

My own experience of babies is that they are very interested in fingers, long hair and red clothing. (And nipples, but I think we can rule out the "beauty of the female form" in that particular case).

Another thing I notice is that they are not content to just look at something, they usually want to feel and taste it as well.

What is beauty?
It is the opinion of the one judging the object or creature in front of him or her. Beauty is naught but an opinion. Something very beautiful is only said to be so because so many different people, beasts, whatever, think it so. Nothing is beautiful or ugly, it just is. So my definition of beauty summed up? An opinion.

Ofcourse beauty is an opinion because it is subjective, however somethings are beauty because it is commonly agree with, nature is beautiful, art can be both beautiful or ugly depending on what it is representing. words are beautiful because they hold a meaning of beauty as they touch someone`s heart. A person is beautiful when someone love them regredless of popular opinion. superfical beauty like models or goodlooking people fades with time.

beau·ty   /ˈbyuti/ Show Spelled
[byoo-tee] Show IPA

–noun, plural -ties.
1. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).
2. a beautiful person, especially a woman.
3. a beautiful thing, as a work of art or a building.
4. Often, beauties. something that is beautiful in nature or in some natural or artificial environment.
5. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm: a vivid blue area that is the one real beauty of the painting.


As human brings we might disagree on alot but we could all agree on the fundenmental of beauty to mean something that is pleasing to the eyes.

someone or soemthing can be both ugly and beautiful at the same time, an art that is about an ugly picture can be beautiful in the details the artist used, a person who is ugly surpase that uglyness because you happen to see their beauty within. initiatal beauty is associated with what you phyiscal see.

Good definitions for beauty: radiance,grace,balance,transcendence,sublime,and perfection.

Beauty is a characteristic of human beings, place, animal etc. Natural beauty is always better than constructive beauty...

Something has beauty when I feel amazed by it, but not put off by it I guess. You might see a sunrise, and it's great and all, but for me, that alone is not beautiful. It's just a sunrise. It's pretty. But I'm just watching it. Now, if I were at the bottom of a shallow part of the ocean scuba diving and an animal came up to me and touched me, that would be beautiful, even if the colors were dull and the movement was awkward. Beauty isn't detatched.