Q&A
- Do we see everything that is in front of us?
Although some things like air are impossible to see with the naked eye, sometimes people are unable to see what is right in front of them despite the existence of visible signs. The inability to see something right in front of someone is mainly because people use other senses to determine what to notice and what to leave out. Someone with a phobia for blood for example may be unable to identify the nature of injury because they lack the composure to look at the injury long enough to see everything needed to make a valid conclusion on the nature of the injury. Since everything that is captured by the senses is processed by the brain, people’s opinions and perceptions about what they see could be clouded and thus prevent them from seeing what is right in front of them.
- Is there a cognitive (non-sensory thought) component to our experiences of beauty?
Pleasure is a non-sensory thought component that influences the way people interpret their experiences of beauty. Like art, people’s perceptions and opinions about things that are considered beautiful tends to differ. The varying opinions are mainly because the interpretation of beauty requires one to utilize the cognitive component in order to determine whether the object whose beauty is in question evokes positive pleasure or not. Things that bring more pleasure are described as being more beautiful while those that are not as pleasing are considered less attractive. Since what people consider pleasurable also varies, the definition of beauty tends to vary depending on the individual. The role that pleasure plays in determining beauty can be used to explain why people may place different levels of beauty on the same object or person.
- Are narrative relationships perceived (seen)? Are they beautiful?
Narrative relationships are perceived in the memories and events that have transpired in an individual’s life to determine the person they become. It is through memories and recollection of the past that people use to form personal opinions, beliefs and personalities that determine how they live their lives. Unlike reading someone’s bibliography, narratives offer better insight especially on the side of the individual. When reliving memories, an individual can recall the feelings he had, the intensity of the situation and other emotions that make the recollection as real as it was the day it occurred. The beauty of the narratives is therefore determined by the situation in question or the experience that the individual was going through. Some narratives may be seen as beautiful while others as less appealing depending on the nature of impact they had on the individual.
- Are there some contents that can only be claimed in certain media? Are there some experiences or feelings that can only be expressed in certain media?
Some content, experiences and feelings can only be expressed in certain media and this is mainly because of the role that the media used plays in society. Phone calls for instance have taken a formal role compared to messages as is the case where people are more likely to make a phone call than send a message when in need of immediate help. Similarly, expressing emotions such as sadness or depression is more efficient through media that supports video or audio compared to written text. Reading a note requires the reader to either have prior knowledge of the writer’s state when writing the note in order to determine the state of mind the writer is in. without such information, it may be impossible to denote sadness or sarcasm thus making media that only supports text ill equipped to relay such emotions. Videos however make it easier to read the composers state of mind by observing their body language and other communication features.
- When two people disagree about whether something looks beautiful, is one of them right? OR Is looking beautiful in a context of real objective beauty?
When two people disagree about the beauty of something, both of them could be right because beauty is often influenced by the feelings evoked by the object in question. Beauty takes a subjective context in that different people place different levels of beauty on the same object. A sword for instance may be seen as beautiful if viewed as a tool for martial arts and the honor associated with Samurai warriors. The sword’s beauty however lessens especially in the eyes of those who are victims of crimes involving swords or people with negative attitudes towards weapons. Although there are some objects that are considered beautiful by majority of people in society, the existence of people who consider the same objects as being not as beautiful goes to prove that the concept of beauty is more subjective than objective thus making the claim that both individuals are right more accurate.
- Do we see the world differently than people in the past?
People’s perception of reality is influenced by the experiences and interactions that exist in society. As such, people today tend to see the world differently from how others perceived it in the past mainly because the two have had different experiences. In the past for instance, people were of the opinion that hard work would bring about desirable results. In today’s society, more emphasis is placed on working smart and utilizing the energy to achieve maximum results. Since people’s experiences help them to adapt to the society they live in, the view of the world is greatly influenced by the opinions and norms established in communities. Since the norms used in the past have evolved, perceptions of the world have also evolved and people view the world differently from the way others viewed it in the past.
- When we watch a film, do we experience what the characters experience?
When watching a film, we experience what the characters experience, but only to some extent. One aspect of film making is to make the content as appealing to the target audience as possible. Often times, films use the characters to portray a certain occurrence in everyday life. The message is therefore the experience that the character goes through rather than the character himself. Since the experiences describe events that occur in society, the audience can factor in their experiences when going through something portrayed in film, making it possible for the individual to experience the same thing the character experiences. There are however limitations in that some character has too many experiences in an attempt to portray most of the things that take place in society. Since it is rather difficult for one individual to experiences everything that goes on in society, some scenes may be impossible to relate to thus limiting the shared experience between the character and the audience.
- Are things that give us pleasure the same things we judge beautiful? OR Should we be humble in our disagreements about beauty?
People should be humble in their disagreements about beauty because not everything that gives pleasure is judged as beautiful. Like beauty, people take pleasure in different things and their definition of what is pleasurable tends to vary. When giving to charity for instance, there are those who try to publicize the fact that they give donations while others prefer to do so anonymously. Despite both giving to charity, one finds pleasure from the attention gained from giving while the other takes pleasure in helping, regardless of any benefits that may come from giving. While pleasure is a non-cognitive component of beauty, not everything that brings pleasure is beautiful especially because some pleasure may arise from things that are perceived as unattractive such as being boastful or arrogant. While people may disagree on what is beauty, they have similar attitudes regarding what is not beautiful regardless of whether it brings pleasure or not.
- Is what we find beautiful contingent?
What we find beautiful is contingent in that the beauty of something is always influenced by other factors. Since there is no definition of beauty, people rely on things such as feelings evoked, attitudes and perceptions as well as the common view that people hold towards specific things. Since the idea of beauty is only present depending on specific conditions, it is correct to state that what we find beautiful is contingent.
