General Question

Pandora's avatar

Is it unusual to see beauty in almost everything you see?

Asked by Pandora (32192points) May 23rd, 2010

I’ve noticed lately that there are so many things I see beauty in. I’ve always liked beautiful things like most people but I noticed that the smallest details in something as simple as a chair, I find it makes the chair look interesting to me. I find people with wrinkles look more interesting to me as well. Like the scars of battles marking periods of a war with time. Things that escape my notice when I was younger seem not to escape my notice now. Does that generally happen as one gets older. Maybe from not feeling rushed any longer in daily life or is it when we feel time may be slipping by and so we must notice as much as we can before its all over? Or is it just me?

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44 Answers

kenmc's avatar

No.

And if it is unusual, who cares?

NRO's avatar

You sound like you feel very good about life.

Seaofclouds's avatar

I don’t think it’s just you. I notice some things, but not to the extent that you do. I don’t think it’s unusual. I think it’s a blessing.

shego's avatar

It sounds like you have a good eye for beauty, why don’t you use that and do photography. It is nothing to feel embarrassed about and it’s not unusual. It just means that you see the beauty in everything, and can keep a smile on. Like the glass is half full. It’s a great thing.

stemnyjones's avatar

I think more people should see the world that way.

I’ve just begun noticing the way the streetlight shines on the very tips of the leaves at the top of the tree as it sways to and fro in the wind.

rangerr's avatar

It’s not unusual.
I have a crush on the world.

NRO's avatar

The cosmos is a beautiful place.

Pandora's avatar

@boots, True, but I was just wondering if its common place as one gets older.
@NRO, Never thought about that, but I guess I do.
@Seaofclouds Thanks, glad to see someone else who does. True, it does feel like a blessing to me.
@shego Nope not embarrassed only curious as to why this extreme interest in the things I see. I did take in the beauty around me a lot when younger but at the time I saw beauty in what was commonly thought as beautiful. I did love to draw and take photographs. I still do. Only I’ve notice things now that I once ignored. But funny that you mention the glass half full. I did have a more negative view when younger. So you may have something there.
@stemnyjones Been there done that. I love summer storms and watching the trees sway in the wind looking majestic and strong. Or dew drops in the morning covering the grass.
@rangerr Beautifully described. It is like being infatuated with everything around you. How it works, the fine details.
@NRO Certainly is.

ZEPHYRA's avatar

No, that is the way we should try to look at everything!

kenmc's avatar

I’m 21 and have moments where I see beauty in everything.

free_fallin's avatar

I’m like @rangerr; everything in the world is beautiful to me.

eden2eve's avatar

For me it’s a little bit like when I was a young a parent, and at times I missed the awesomeness of the child because I was so caught up in the responsibility and details of life, then when I became a grandparent, with fewer responsibilities and more time and opportunity to observe and appreciate, the children seemed more amazing and incredible.

LocoLuke's avatar

It’s not consistent for me, but there have been periods of my life where I experienced something akin to this. Enjoy it and hope it never goes away =)

anartist's avatar

I see them both together, profound beauty and profound ugliness. I am just SEEING more intensely and/or taking the time to look more.

Pandora's avatar

I am really glad to know there are others who are like that as well. I’ve only known two people in my life who ever felt like that. My dad who was the first to teach me to observe the world and my son who from 1 grade would take detail notice of every little nook and cranny and draw it all on paper. He had a teacher tell him one time that he didn’t have to draw every detail and his reply was, You asked me to draw everything I saw and so he did, down to the last detail. He’s lost that ability but luckily he has never lost the abiltiy to see a persons inner beauty.

anartist's avatar

your son sounds absolutely wonderful! O’m glad he never lost that spirit.
There actually is a British guy named Stephen Wiltshire who can draw an entire city from one careful helicopter observation. Amazing.

Pandora's avatar

I’ll be back tomorrow and check for any new responses. Thank you all for your answers. I’ve got to get up in 2 hours. Hope you all have a good night.
@anartist, Wow, he’s awesome. Nah, my son was pretty good but he would’ve needed a lot of days of viewing to remember it all. Just as he looked at each thing he would notice details that most people over look.

kenmc's avatar

It should be noted that Stephen Wiltshire is an idiot savant and not your usual artistic talent.

SmoothEmeraldOasis's avatar

My children all have their own attributes and to this day they each share the common love for art and nature. Well night all It is late…till next time.

msliljax's avatar

I think finding the beauty in everything should be regarded as a norm…

perspicacious's avatar

It isn’t the norm, but it is a wonderful way to live.

Pandora's avatar

@perspicacious Yeah, I agree that it must not be normal simply because of the very few people who ever shared this view. Oh, wait there was two more people like that. My son was actually lucky to have them as art teachers. They lived and breathed, in simplistic beauty. Both were married to each other and never had children but they treated all their students like their children. Great people.
@msliljax If only it was considered the norm. Than so many people wouldn’t be hell bent on destroying our world. It would be hard to kill anything you think beautiful.
@SmoothEmeraldOasis I hope their love for beauty expands with time.
Well I’m going to walk the dog and go back to bed. Be back later.

DrasticDreamer's avatar

I do think it’s a little unusual, but not in a bad way. I’ve done this – noticed things, in peculiar ways that other people don’t tend to – my entire life. I would never trade it for the world, because, well, it’s absolutely beautiful. Sometimes it can drive me to awe-struck tears. Although it has been a little (okay, quite a bit, a lot) hard to relate to other people what I’m experiencing and thus makes me feel a little lonely… I just could never even want to give it up. There are really no words… sigh.

And if it gets more intense as people age, my world is going to get very, very interesting considering I’m 25 and already overwhelmed by the beauty of everything.

jrpowell's avatar

I go to the park to read when the ground isn’t wet. I can stare at a blade of grass for hours.

john65pennington's avatar

Not if you are taking LSD. i do not know this from personal experience. only passing along what many drug users, taking LSD, have conveyed to me.

LostInParadise's avatar

I think you are most fortunate.

In my older years I am just as far from seeing beauty in everything as I ever was. All I can say is that I am more aware of how judgmental I can be. Still, I fail to see beauty in loud stupid people, shopping malls or suburban developments, though I am more appreciative of the beauty in nature and have retained my wonder at the beauty of mathematics.

lucillelucillelucille's avatar

psst—I think that way too—:))

Jude's avatar

I’m very much like that, as well. I see beauty in the oddest, most unusual, and decrepit looking things.

Like this.

mattbrowne's avatar

No, it’s not unusual. It’s a sign of maturity and a good work-life balance.

Cruiser's avatar

Beauty does lie in the details of life you just have to take the time to look closely and see it.

krose1223's avatar

I am a lot like this but I love it. Life is so much better when you can look around and just enjoy everything. Life is beautiful.

NRO's avatar

LSD may make the world vividly beautiful if it was beautiful to you in the first place.
It amplifies what is already within.

Silhouette's avatar

No it’s not unusual but it’s not all that common either. There are those who skate through life without ever noticing how beautiful a raindrop rolling down a window really is. Good for you, you just found the meaning of life. It’s about noticing the grace that surrounds you.

whyigottajoin's avatar

No, I have that also. =) And I’m going to be a photographer so that might just come in handy.

Pandora's avatar

@john65pennington LOL, I’m sure it does, however my experiences are drug free unless there is something special in my tylenol.

Pandora's avatar

@whyigottajoin (first, your name is amusing) It might come in handy however don’t be surprised when others don’t see what you see.
@Silhouette Agreed. Some people only like sunny days. I love them all. I love it when it rains. How every drop moves every leaf on a tree. How everthing seems more vivid in color and clean. I remember, even as a child feeling rain cleaned the world and got it ready for a new day and new possibilities. I loved it when I would get caught in a warm rain shower unprepaired. Nice to know some people get that too.
@krose1223 Yes it is. :)
@Cruiser Agreed
@mattbrowne I’m not sure it always has to do with maturity since I think young children have this ability and then loose it for a while and either get it back or never get it back.
However I can see how having a balanced life can help. Caos can make things difficult to see.
@jjmah I did like those photos. I love photos of structures. Sometimes its the structure itself, sometimes I get fasinated with the shadow it creates on another building and how it changes the look of that building.
@lucillelucillelucille =D
@LostInParadise Next time your in a mall. Stop and ignore the noise and sit and grab a bite to eat and watch everyone go by. I love doing this. Its like observing a mini city. Young couples in love, children giggling over their fries. Its nice watching a group of people be at ease, laughing or smiling or even watching some sit there lost in thought and then when they start to move on their faces change in appearance.
@john65pennington Wow! Glad it isn’t illegal to be high on life. And my trip is free. :) LOL
@johnpowell I think if I did that for hours I would fall asleep. :)
@DrasticDreamer :D You get it. I think sometimes it does make me feel a little lonely. I use to like being able to sit with my dad and watch the rain fall from our window and talk about what we see or sometimes not say a word. Just enjoyed the view. Don’t have anyone to do that with anymore.

MrsDufresne's avatar

Yes, I have noticed that I have a similar awareness as I have gotten older too. For myself, I believe that this wisdom comes from experience, patience, and gratitude.

G/Q.

NRO's avatar

increasing finitity sharpens the senses

Pandora's avatar

@NRO Not familiar with the word finitity. Can you elaborate a little more?

SmoothEmeraldOasis's avatar

I am with MrsDufresne as I have gotten older I also have noticed myself becoming more intuitive, and my awareness is much sharper and so that initself causes me to just like get into a trance like mood and I love hearing the rain for instance even more now because it just plays a symphony of melodies that help me to just meditate.

MissA's avatar

It does my heart good to hear that so many of you really experience and appreciate the simple beauties of life. As far as someone mentioning “ugliness”...I only view ugliness as bad human behavior.

I think that our society lends too much of its time to the negative side of human existence.

Enjoy.

SmoothEmeraldOasis's avatar

I agree with you MissA.

MissA's avatar

@SmoothEmeraldOasis Why, thank you. What a beautiful ‘handle’.

SmoothEmeraldOasis's avatar

Thank you very much, I love smooth jazz music and I love the thought of emerald green landscapes ;-)

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