A beautifull thing is a person, animal, place or landscape that excites the senses and stirs emotions in a way that makes it enjoyable to experience. It could be the stunning sunset or a work of art, a new dress, car, home or garden. A beautifull thing is also something that inspires us to take more time to enjoy the beauty of life.
Some philosophers have interpreted beauty in quite different ways. Diogenes Laertius and Socrates, both ancient hedonists, linked it to pleasure: “What is good is the beautiful and what is beautiful is what conduces to goodness.” Santayana, an anti-hedonist, shifted the focus from a pleasure-based account of beauty to a value-based one. He argued that beauty is what leads to the best possible world and that it has ethical weight.
Others have linked beauty to a kind of ecstatic experience, such as the one described by Plotinus: “Beauty is that which awakens within you a certain spirit of wonder and delight, love and longing, and trembling that is all delight” (Ennead I, 3). It is a feeling that gives rise to a desire to possess or share a beautiful object.
Many of the things that we find beautiful are related to nature, for example, mountain ranges and beaches. Some studies have found that people prefer natural landscapes over built environments. This is known as biophilia or an inclination to appreciate natural rather than artificial objects and environments.
It is also believed that the human brain is wired to detect beauty. Scientists have found that areas of the brain associated with processing visual stimuli are larger in people who consider themselves to be more attracted to beauty. They have also found that the same part of the brain is involved in detecting beauty as in processing pain.
A study conducted in the UK found that people with a greater level of sensitivity to beauty had more positive feelings about their environment and were more likely to protect wildlife. They were also more likely to engage in activities such as volunteering and environmental conservation.
Another study found that people who regularly interact with nature are happier and healthier than those who spend less time outdoors. This is thought to be because being in nature reduces stress and improves mental wellbeing. The study also found that the impact of beautiful experiences on valence and arousal is greater when they are repeated than when they are neutral or uninteresting.
Other studies have found that people who find a work of art or a building beautiful are more satisfied with their lives and more optimistic about the future than those who do not. This is thought to be because of the pleasure and satisfaction they get from interacting with these objects. This effect is most pronounced for very beautiful works of art or buildings. It is not clear if this is because they are more emotionally resonant or because they have more complex features.