What on God's Green Earth is This Thing Called Beauty?

I am, by nature, an introvert. I crave solitude and time to think. I sense things and feel other people's emotions intensely. Another aspect of my personality, which I have been discovering over the past few years, is that I crave beauty. It's why I prefer a dark, tree-lined country lane lit up with summer fireflies as opposed to crowded, smoke-filled city streets. It's why I clutch so fervently to soul-touching words and melodies. My desire for beautiful things spurred me to create a Pinterest board filled with breathtaking sunsets, crystal blue lakes and crisp, snowy mountains, and photographs that capture the beauty of the human spirit. I entitled this board "Beauty is the Handwriting of God," a modified version of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Never lose an opportunity for seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament."

Jensen Ackles (image: http://wholelottahot.tumblr.com/post/63309069166/jensen-ackles)

But what is beauty? Is it "in the eye of the beholder?" If we look hard enough for beauty in something, are we bound to see it? Or is it simply something that fate hands out, not determined by human perception?

In my opinion, it is easy for people to agree on what is beautiful in, say, nature. We look at a field of wildflowers or a sunrise over the ocean and think to ourselves, "Now that is real beauty." A person standing on the edge of a mountain, seeing and feeling the wide world around them, may breathe in the fresh air and say, "Wow. Beautiful." But the real touchiness comes when we apply beauty to human beings.

Perceptions on the ideals of human beauty or ugliness have been in flux for centuries. An easy example of transient human opinion on what beauty is that in some civilizations, larger people are considered "beautiful." The more flesh you have on your bones, the more desirable you are. In other civilizations, the exact opposite can be seen, as the less flesh you have on your bones, the more "beautiful" you are considered.
I, too, admit that I have a standard for outward beauty in humanity, which has probably been shaped by my culture and exposure to a set of ideals over the years. And in my mind, one of the most stunningly beautiful people I have seen is Jensen Ackles, the former model and Days of Our Lives actor, and current Supernatural star. Honestly, I couldn't explain why in any sort of scientific manner, but Ackles's features are very aesthetically pleasing. He has jewel-green eyes, a firm jawline, shapely lips, a generous sprinkling of boyish freckles, and a gorgeous smile, all of which combine to make his features very attractive to the eye.

Lizzie Velasquez (image: http://www.aboutlizzie.com/)

So, does his aesthetically pleasing face make him more beautiful than, say, Lizzie Velasquez (who has received a lot of attention lately, due to her story coming to light)? For those unaware of Velasquez, she has a condition where she is unable to gain weight or store fat, a condition which has made her aesthetically unpleasing. Because of her features, she was once promoted "the ugliest woman in the world." Recently, I found myself looking at her picture and pondering, "Is this woman truly ugly?" I had to admit, even to myself, that Velasquez's features are far from the norm, and can be described as not pleasing to the eye (although she does have some jealousy-inducing hair).

But there is much more to beauty or ugliness than a person's appearance, although that is certainly a part of it. I would agree with Emerson and say that there is beauty to be found in people if we choose to look for it. Velasquez's beauty may not manifest itself in her outward appearance, but it certainly manifests in her gentle, forgiving, fighting spirit and her warm wit and humor. And Jensen Ackles's beauty is not just found outwardly, but is also seen in his love for his family and friends, and the passion he has for creating and sharing stories with the world.
 
In literature and film, there have been many characters who look less-than-beautiful. Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) are two especially popular examples which spring to mind. (Interestingly, both of these stories are set in France!) Erik and Quasimodo are men who, from birth, were considered hideous monsters, less than men. They are given away and abandoned by their families solely because of their looks. Erik locks himself away from society, and hides his face behind a mask. In the darkness of society's rejection of him, he comes a dark and twisted soul, losing almost all of the beauty that he ever possessed, besides his voice. When Erik sings, his voice entrances those around him, even to the point where he sounds like an angel. Quasimodo, meanwhile, is locked away in a bell tower and exploited by his master, but he still retains the beauty of his soul in his desperate love and care for Esmeralda. And in the story of The Hunchback, some people wanted Esmeralda to return Quasimodo's love, rather than pine away for the handsome Phoebus. In both of these stories, the hideously, horrifyingly ugly men had something beautiful to offer the world - but it was something that ran deeper than their misshapen outer appearances.

Just as beauty is more than skin-deep, so is ugliness. Ugliness, or unpleasantness, may be revealed in a person's features, or it may be hidden inwardly, in vices like haughtiness, anger, and self-absorption. A man or woman may be aesthetically pleasing, but if they go home and neglect their families or do other horrible things, can they truly be called beautiful? In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is a gorgeous young man who is slowly corrupted by pride, lust, and a host of other vices. As his soul grows more hideous, his portrait - his reflection - grows more hideous as well. Just because their ugliness is not seen right away, it does not mean that it is nonexistent.

In my worldview, all humans contain ugliness, because all humans are sinners. We all have vices and sins that make us misshapen and, dare I say, hideous. But I also believe that we can all exude beauty, because we are creatures of the Creator God, molded and shaped to reflect Him. Even though we have been tarnished and stained, we still retain a part of that reflection. Any beauty in this world, any happiness or love or joy or light, is truly the handiwork of God - and, I believe, if we look hard enough, we can see that beauty in most anything.

I think what I am trying to say is that, to my mind, beauty is not only an outward qualification, it is a way of life. Beauty comes when a person loves, gives, overcomes, and laughs. Beauty, real beauty, is like a gentle ray of sunshine falling on your shoulders. It is the father kissing his newborn baby daughter. It is the woman who throws back her head and laughs like the world isn't watching. It is the face of the one you love dearest in all of the world. It is a kiss on the forehead, a friend listening when they have better things to do, an unexpected act of kindness in a world that is often harsh and cruel to those who live in it. I think that, in this life, beauty is something that we can create, no matter how we look.