”Beauty will save the world.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot, Part III, chap. 5.
As I write this, I’m listening to the hauntingly beautiful strains of Max Richter’s, “On The Nature of Daylight”. You might’ve heard it — it’s been played in a large handful of movies, I remember it mostly from the film, “Arrival”. The beauty of it stirs the heart and the soul — the essence of our being. If you’d like, you can listen along to it too.
Music is Beauty. Art is Beauty. Design is Beauty. Dance is Beauty.
Kindness is Beauty. Innocence (not to be confused with ignorance) is Beauty.
The Golden Rule is Beauty. The Golden Ratio is Beauty.
The Human Soul is Beauty.
On this cusp of change — and aren’t we always? — of how we see the world and life in general, I feel the beauty of the human soul will be the unsung hero.
Dostoevsky’s ambiguous philosophical remark from, “The Idiot”, that beauty will save the world has been generally scoffed at for being naive and overly simplistic. I find it sadly interesting how our current society seems to praise those who have forgotten the wisdom in innocence much less the power of true beauty. Why do they turn away with such scorn? Has Moloch made off with their superpowers; with their innocence? I’ll write more on Moloch at a later time — I will say that beauty is the antidote to Moloch.
Life gets messy but the mysterious beauty of the heart remains to steady us along on this journey, that is, if we’re aware of its guidance. I’m not always aware, and sometimes I even turn my back on its guidance but I’m learning that when I melt into its beauty, I bring joy to others as much as to myself.
I feel there is a battle for our divinity. A war rages for our souls. Artificial Intelligence will be the fall guy for all this blame. Have we forgotten as to why we’re here? Have we abandoned our childlike wonder? Have we abandoned the beauty of our soul?
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the [a]line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
— Job 38:4-7
Beauty is a gift. Beauty is art. Beauty is kindness. Beauty is found in nature and in every human being on earth. Beauty is the best of who we are.
While it may be interpreted in different ways, at its core, Dostoevsky’s statement suggests that beauty possesses a transformative power capable of bringing about positive change in the world. Here's an exploration of this concept:
Inspiring and uplifting: Beauty, whether in the form of art, nature, or human expression, has the ability to inspire and uplift people's spirits. It can evoke deep emotions, spark creativity, and encourage individuals to strive for a better world. Through aesthetic experiences, people can find solace, hope, and motivation to overcome challenges and work towards a more harmonious existence.
Fostering empathy and understanding: Beauty has a unique ability to transcend language and cultural barriers. It can evoke empathy by connecting people through shared experiences of appreciation and admiration. Art, for instance, can depict diverse perspectives and allow individuals to understand different worldviews and experiences, fostering compassion and promoting a sense of unity.
Promoting harmony and peace: Beauty often embodies harmony, balance, and order. By seeking and appreciating beauty, individuals can cultivate these qualities within themselves and their communities. The pursuit of beauty encourages people to strive for balance in their lives and to promote peace and harmony in their interactions with others. It can serve as a common ground that brings people together, fostering cooperation and understanding.
Challenging destructive forces: Beauty can be a powerful counterforce to the destructive and negative aspects of the world. It offers an alternative perspective, reminding us of the inherent goodness and potential for positive change. In the face of ugliness, violence, and despair, beauty provides a source of resilience and resistance. It encourages individuals to reject destructive behaviors and work towards a more beautiful and just society.
Inspiring action and transformation: Beauty has the capacity to inspire action and transformation. When confronted with something beautiful, individuals may feel compelled to create, contribute, or engage in acts of kindness and altruism. By recognizing and appreciating beauty, people can be motivated to make positive changes in their own lives and extend that influence to the world around them.
It is important to note that the phrase "beauty will save the world” serves as a poetic expression highlighting the profound impact beauty can have on individuals and societies.
Ultimately, it is through the collective appreciation and pursuit of beauty that we can cultivate a more compassionate, harmonious, and transformative world. I feel Pope John Paul, II, Letter to Artists encapsulates the beauty Dostoevsky was referring to and I’ll leave a passage from it for you below, as I feel it wraps all this up neatly in a lovely bow.
Beauty will, indeed, save the world!
With Love & Beauty — Angela
16. On the threshold of the Third Millennium, my hope for all of you who are artists is that you will have an especially intense experience of creative inspiration. May the beauty which you pass on to generations still to come be such that it will stir them to wonder! Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude.
From this wonder there can come that enthusiasm of which Norwid spoke in the poem to which I referred earlier. People of today and tomorrow need this enthusiasm if they are to meet and master the crucial challenges which stand before us. Thanks to this enthusiasm, humanity, every time it loses its way, will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path. In this sense it has been said with profound insight that “beauty will save the world”.