According to Kant, our experience of beauty is an experience of freedom. He argues, however, that beauty is not itself an objective property of things. When we judge that a natural object or a work of art is beautiful, on Kant’s view, we are indeed making a judgment about an object, but we are asserting that the object has a certain effect on us - and that it should have the same effect on all who view it. The effect produced by the “beautiful” object is to set our understanding and imagination in “free play” with one another, and it is the pleasure generated by this free play that leads us to judge the object to be beautiful.
In contrast to Kant, Schiller understands beauty to be a property of the object itself. It is the property, possessed by both living beings and works of art, of appearing to be free when in fact they are not. We can never see freedom at work in, or embodied in, the world of space and time. In the case of beautiful objects, therefore - whether they are the products of nature or human imagination - “it is all that matters …that the object appears as free, not that it really is so”
Anyhow, just picture to yourself the charm of a mild breeze on a spring morning or the allure of cool dew on a rose petal. A waterfall flowing from a green mountain, a light rain in a romantic weather and the blossoming trees in the heart of a garden or on a river bank, are sure evidence of the beauty of nature. You will naturally enjoy all these charms and attractions. Breathing in a fresh air and relaxing at the beach will fill you with great pleasure. Ashley Smith says, “Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
Imagine praying with tearful eyes and a soulful heart in the privacy of midnight or at the crack of dawn. In other words, how will you feel when a lump in your throat makes your tears run down your cheek and a deep sadness is in your heart while there is thirst of your soul? A spiritual dialogue with your God at the altar of worship enables you to realize the sanctity of the Creator. Indeed, there is a great solace and mysticism in such a prayer. Hence, there exists inner and outer beauty. Which one is cherished more in our society?
Many young girls spend long hours before the mirror wearing makeup and jewelry to look beautiful. Most probably, they spend one third of their income on expensive cosmetics and stylish clothing. Sometimes when I walk on Kabul streets, I think that the fashionable girls have done their best to win the hearts and minds of the young boys. They come out with updated and trendy styles as if they are invited to attend fashion show. They attach high importance on their appearance and outer beauty.
It is aptly said by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, “People are like strained-glass window. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in; their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”
Moreover, it is nicely said that beauty of a woman is not the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
Unfortunately, it is not only the young girls who cover their real face under the color of makeup, however masking one’s face and action is the very nature of modern man. For example, the religious radicals cover their evil and inner ugliness under the charm of religion, the politicians under the fascination of speeches and attractive words, the phonies under the simplicity and honesty, etc. In short, the harshness is covered by the softness, the ugliness by beauty, etc. Moreover, the inner beauty is eroded to a large extent.
Where does beauty come from? Where can it be found? I can assure you it isn’t hidden in the words of any beauty, diet, or fitness magazine article. It doesn’t come in a 12 can pack and promise a smaller waistline. It’s not something that comes out when it is covered up with makeup or ejected from a needle, and it doesn’t come included with jewelry or price tags. You won’t find it on a treadmill or in the weight room. No – beauty is what lies within you.
Look at a flower as you would look upon a work of art. Appreciate it. Enjoy it. Relax and just let it all in. Then look at yourself the same way. You are a perfect and unique creation of nature, just like a flower. This may be hard to do and you must persist through all of the negativity and voices in your head. Remember those voices do not speak truth. They are merely the echoes of insecurity and comic relief. Appreciation for beauty isn’t forced. Beauty cannot be beaten into you. Beauty must be invited and it must flow. If you want to exhibit your true nature, all you can do it let go.
The priority one sets on appearances in the physical realm is to deny oneself the quality and beauty of the spirit. If you choose to focus on the beauty within, you will receive the value of true communication with another. To ignore the essence of another is to deny your own humanity.
In religious term, virtue is one’s real beauty which is the only criterion for human dignity and social values. Facial or outer beauty is of no value in religion. One who purifies his spirit and free his soul from evils through virtue and moral practices will be considered beautiful. Hence, we are supposed to divert our attention from outer beauty and focus it on inner one.