Personal Philosophy Statement - Beauty

Beauty is a concept that is often considered universal, concrete, and unalterable. A few years ago, after careful consideration, I decided that none of those adjectives accurately describe beauty at all. The parameters by which the general public decides what is "Beautiful" – roses, sunsets, and the like – are set in place by primal instinct. To believe that beauty is fixed is to create a world in which humanity exists only to serve these instincts rather than to use them to achieve a higher purpose than survival. To strive for a primal, superficial appeal is shallow, but to pursue a meaningful beauty is incredibly important to improving the quality of one's life.

When I was younger, I painted a lot of flowers. As an artist, I took joy in recreating the things that I found aesthetically alluring. However, I never once considered what it was about the natural world that made me wish to paint it. Curiously, the answer to that question can be found in the theory of evolution. Humans find flowers appealing because we have evolved to see them as a sign of a coming fruitful springtime. We surround ourselves in their colors, their pinks, purples, reds, and greens, because our subconscious associates them with survival. The only reason for us to consider anything “beautiful” is because we connect it to something beneficial. Once I realized this, I started applying more meaning to the things that I found beautiful. In the grand scheme of things, roses began to seem dull to me. There was nothing special about them anymore. Food is plentiful in the twenty-first century and I had no reason to maintain the intense drive to acquire it. Rather, I began to better appreciate the sight of a friendly face or a warm meal. These visuals meant something important to me, something really significant, something completely superior to my already satisfied need to live long enough to reproduce. Life became more enjoyable because I could find beauty in everything; no longer did I have to go to a garden or a forest to experience it, since it could be found in every aspect of my daily life.

To this day, I find motivation in the pursuit of beauty. It makes me feel fulfilled to know that I’m aware of my instincts and thus able to use them to my advantage rather than being a slave to them. Humans have the unique ability to override their natural inclinations for their benefits. Understanding this concept is what ultimately separates us from animals. I would consider it beautiful.