How do you define the word "beauty" ?

Something or somebody that is pleasing to the eye. It is a subjective judgment.

Welcome to Fluther!

We live in a very imperfect world and for me something/someone is beautiful to me if they exhibit visual qualities that exceed the average. It will often possess an exceptional representation of symmetry and color. Size or stature are other elements that a “beauty” will exhibit like a 46 inch Musky. Lack of flaws will also often define beauty, like a 1968 Camaro with zero rust and matching serial numbers.

Inexactly. There’s all sorts of beauty – physical, spiritual, personality, artistic, musical, intellectual, scientific, and so on.

There can’t and shouldn’t be. It’s all personal and subjective.

I don’t see beauty as what you can see, but the things that you can’t see but can feel!!! The person who has the most pleasant features, but also has a black heart can be the ugliest person in the world!!! The most physically displeasing person who has a heart of gold is to me the most beautiful person in the world!!!

I define beauty as the part of yourself that you are willing to share with others…IMHO, it’s NOT the physical looks that gives a person their beauty!!!

There’s often a certain symmetry in things I find beautiful but then there are things I find beautiful that don’t fall within the Golden Rule,
It depends on the day. Lol

For me, if I experience beauty, it goes straight to the core of my being.
I feel whole, perfect, in the moment.
It usually involves little humans, or nature.

^ I find it amusing how as little humans that we are born with that inner beauty; but as we grow into big humans we lose it or it is stolen from us…NOT sure which!!!

@LadyMarissa I see it differently in that inner beauty is something that cannot be lost or stolen as you suggest, it can only be forfeited by the individual through actions or inaction.

I have nothing against inner beauty but I see it as an analog to aesthetic beauty, something related to morals rather than aesthetics. They may be related in the sense that someone with inner beauty may have a physical expression of it in their facial expression or in how they speak or carry themselves.

Even in the most narrow sense, beauty extends beyond the visible. There is beautiful music. There are also beautiful ideas. In mathematics, Euler’s equation e**(pi * i) + 1 = 0 is regarded as particularly beautiful because it simply expresses a relationship among the significant numbers e, pi, i, 1 and 0.

It is not possible to come up with a checklist of what causes beauty, but symmetry and economy of expression are two common factors.

When talking about beauty, it always remind me of the inner-beauty of people. That is, I believe there’s always a bright side in human, a kind of eerie beauty that we could not physically perceive it, but feel it. On the other hand, physical beauty or let’s say appearance is superficial, it is an illusion that we are given to live in this society, after all, we are all individual beings that deserve the same fair chance to do whatever we want, physical appearance should never be an indicator to judge if someone is capable of something.

We had a dog we named Beauty & whenever I hear that word I think of her…honest answer.

Something that is transcendent.
Sometimes involving aesthetics.
But not necessarily.

“The way you think, your character and what you love doing is what makes you beautiful. A beautiful person is one who knows what they are worth. This is someone who views himself/herself as a worthy person without looking down on others or comparing themselves with others.”

@Inspired_2write -Well said! :)

The poet John Keats said, Beauty is truth, truth beauty. He is wrong. Newton’s laws are beautiful. They are symmetric and elegant. Unfortunately, we know now that they are only an approximation. The laws of physics, particularly quantum mechanics with its multiple particles and properties, is non-intuitive and lacking in elegance.

“Beauty is a gift that expects nothing.” Maram Al-Masri

@flutherother Nice!