What is beauty, and what does “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” mean?

That question is like going down a rabbit hole. It can be shallow or more profound than you can imagine.

Beauty is everywhere you look, whether within a person, including yourself or something you are looking at.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, which means the beholder is the person who is looking for or at someone or something.

You are the beholder. Another person who is commenting on someone or something is the beholder.

The beholder has a perspective or opinion, which is just that – their perspective.

It’s not the truth; it’s their truth for now because we all know that we, as humans, can change our minds.

Some do this frequently and often as they are flexible. Just being flexible is another rabbit hole that I’ll quickly go down.

Being flexible is a positive thing when you stand in confidence and integrity.

You listen and will change your mind if you need more information or understanding.

Being adaptable is harmful when you are a follower and unthinkingly follow or believe what others say without exploring the truth for yourself.

Unquestioningly trusting what someone has said happens frequently regarding office or schoolyard friendships or gossip.

Blind trust is highly harmful and usually unnecessary.

Consequently, it causes trouble in all aspects of life for everyone worldwide.

Can you imagine life if everyone no longer said undeserved, unkind, and often untruthful things about each other?

Getting back to the topic of beauty and combining it with the rabbit hole on flexibility – the best example is to imagine a physically beautiful woman you work with.

She is naturally beautiful but is a giant spreader of negativity. She speaks negatively of others, judges people based on their looks, and criticises those she could help.

One ‘beholder’ might see her as beautiful, while another ‘beholder’ thinks of her as ugly (because of her actions).

Another example is when you see something that is not physically attractive. If you look deeper, you can find something appealing.

If it’s a person, they might have beautiful straight teeth, be wearing a nice shirt, or have gorgeous eyes; if it’s an animal, they might have shiny fur, be friendly or greet you with a wagging tail that says they are happy to see you.

Whatever it is, or whoever it is, somebody can find beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Lastly, beauty in the world and your life is because of the people in your life.

Have you let them know about the beauty that you see in them?