Addiction to Elegance (Why are people addicted to looking at pretty things?)

This has been on my mind a lot recently, and I'm fairly certain this isn't a new concept; humans are innately in pursuit of things they find pleasing to the eye - and in modern day, this is no different. Social media is an obvious example that comes to mind, whether it be imitating influencers on Instagram or reaching for Pinterest instinctively if you're searching for beauty, most people tend to follow the yellow brick road rather than choose utility. I know this is something I've personally been guilty of, and the question this leads me to ask is - what is so addictive about beauty, and why do we give it such paramount importance in our day to day lives? I feel to best answer this question, we need to start with the basics - what is the definition of beauty?

beauty (from Oxford Languages) - a combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

In simpler terms:

Beauty is something that is appealing in some sense, often in sight but not excluding sound, taste, feel or smell; and doesn't necessarily fit a set model but is rather a variety of traits which, together, bring happiness. People are drawn to both the symmetrical and the unique out of curiosity - people are naturally curious. We are constantly hunting for the new and unknown, and this may look different for everyone - some people may quickly cycle through trends, some may scroll through blogs such as this, and a few may follow the 'traditional' route of books and study - all of which are examples of inquisitiveness. We are often drawn to symmetry because it gives us a sense of security - everything is predictable and little is unexpected. On the other hand, unpredictability and uniqueness often holds greater value of interest for us and can serve as entertainment and practice for problem solving. But the similarity? Everything has a unique value that is dependent on the person. 'Aesthetics' are a great example of this. Popular amongst Gen Z, aesthetics are defined as 'an appreciation of the beautiful' and are known as a group of traits and styles that fit into a named category, most often something that is idolised and coveted. These communities can help build friendships and give lives a sense of meaning for people still discovering themselves. However, the number of young people trying to fit into these categories, is rapidly increasing and is believed to cause harm to those especially vulnerable, creating unrealistic beauty standards. This, in modern day, is an addiction to the idolised and glammed-up definition of beauty, and of course, even in a lie there is a hint of truth - but is not the whole truth. Beauty is the opposite of small categories - it is, on the contrary, a wide worldview of curiosity, and is not contained in a screen.

Little side note - thank you so much for reading. I'm so glad i found some sort of inspiration to write, even if it's just a couple of paragraphs. I hope you enjoyed. :)

Song suggestion - Gilded Lily by Cults