Fashion

I would define fashion is a popular style during a certain time that is aesthetically pleasing to a large majority of the public (typically the younger generations). One thing that really fascinates me about fashion is that styles repeat themselves. When I look at old photo albums of my parents, I sometimes laugh at what they wearing. I know I’m not the only one who looks at old photographs and thinks “What in the world are they wearing?,” but now we are starting to repeat those trends! I enjoy seeing the different styles pass through society and, depending on the style, participating in the trend. While there are definite styles, I think that fashion is dependent upon who is wearing the clothing. Somebody could think that wearing a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers is super fashionable, while someone else thinks that a dress, fishnet stockings, and Christian Louboutin heels is.

Something that I don’t understand is high fashion. The clothing that models wear down the runway is so obscure and different from anything that anybody would wear/buy in regular society. When’s the last time you saw somebody walking down the street in something like this?

I suppose that it is up to the designer to create what they imagine to be an amazing outfit; however, I do not see anything attractive about the unique styles found on the catwalk. This is not to say that these designers are not talented because they are some of the most talented people out there, my mind just doesn’t work the same way as theirs. While the clothing does not interest me, I do enjoy seeing all of the makeup that they put on models before a photo shoot. There are so many different aspects to fashion and I think it is a very intriguing topic.

Things Artificial

Whether we like to admit it or not, much of our world is becoming artificial. We have artificial sweeteners, plants, people, feelings, and body parts, among many other things. I think that a lot of artificial things are not necessary or beneficial to society; however, there are some that enhance the quality of living. Prosthetic limbs are an example of something that can improve someone’s life. Whether it is soldiers losing their limbs in battle or people with diseases that cause their extremities to be amputated, the invention of prosthetics allows them to lead relatively normal lives. The YouTube link that I posted with this entry shows a new prosthetic arm that responds to two muscles on either side of the existing arm. I found this invention to be really interesting and I think it’s great that this technology is increases at such a fast rate to help people who are less fortunate.

A form of artificiality that I don’t like is plastic surgery. Many celebrities go to plastic surgeons and get a whole bunch of work done on various parts of their bodies, which, I feel, creates a very fake atmosphere. Another problem that plastic surgery poses is that watching these celebrities on TV or seeing them in magazines makes a lot of people feel insecure about themselves because they don’t look as “perfect” as the celebrities. This mentality is especially true in teens and young adults and I don’t think that it gives a positive message to the public.

Nature

Undisturbed nature is a very unique and special part of our world. It can be hard to find pure nature these days with all of the urbanization happening, but, once you find it, it can never be forgotten. I grew up in rural pennsylvania and my house is practically in the middle of the woods, which caused nature to have a very large impact on my life. My family is extremely outdoorsy so we go on a lot of hikes and take trips to explore different parts of the world. I believe that nature is one of the most beautiful things that somebody can experience and I urge anyone and everyone to go outside and take in all that nature has to offer. My favorite place to be is sitting at the top of a mountain, looking over the world below me. I get a feeling of invincibility, like nothing can hold me back while I’m up there. Last year, I traveled to Costa Rica with my brother and we went sight seeing all over the country. One thing that I found to be astonishing was the volcanos. We hiked up the Poas volcano and it was like nothing I had ever seen before, with the lava smoking and blue/green lagoons. Another thing that was extremely cool was zip-lining through one of their many rainforests. The pureness of their forests was very intense compared to where we live because there is so much urbanization in the United States.

View from the peak of the Delaware Water Gap

 

Genius

When I hear the word genius, I think about people like Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, and Ludwig Van Beethoven. These men are considered to be geniuses because they know an incredible amount about their trade and are extremely good at it. Most people associate genius with the field of science, however, somebody who is a master of art, music, writing, etc., can also be considered a genius. I believe that every individual has the ability to become great at something, but it takes a special kind of person to be a genius. 

Something that I don’t think a lot of people know is that many of the people who are considered geniuses today, had some kind of mental disorder. For example, studies have been done which show that Einstein may have had Asperger syndrome, Michelangelo was autistic, and Beethoven was bipolar. Some call these disabilities, but these disorders are what helped make them geniuses. 

A genius doesn’t always have to be book smart. I personally believe that athletes don’t get enough credit for the amount of thought that goes into the sport. Michael Jordan is a great example of an athletic genius. He was not always the best basketball player, but he worked extremely hard to became one of the best players in the history of basketball, and truly mastered the sport. No matter what the other team threw at him, he had a way to combat it and win the game. 

The Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo.

Michael Jordan

Ugliness or Things that are Ugly

My approach to the word “ugly” is similar to my previous post about beauty. Ugliness is not something that has one specific meaning; rather, its meaning is in the eye of the beholder. For example, some people may think that pugs are an extremely ugly breed of dog because their faces are all scrunched up and they have really big eyes. I, however, think that they are adorable creatures. While there are superficial ways to think about the term “ugly”, such as my example, I mostly think about the intangible form of the word. When I say intangible, I am speaking about the characteristics of people and events instead of the way that someone or something looks. I believe that this way of thinking is much more prevalent in our society today. A few things that I think of when I hear the word ugly are terrorists, genocide, and murderers. There is much more ugliness in the world other than the words that I listed, however, these are the ones that I am most disgusted with. The motivation behind the person who commits these unforgivable actions is, I think, the ugliest part of the whole situation. The fact that somebody would choose to shoot up a school full of little kids, or that groups of people will deliberately kill thousands of people just because they are a different race or ethnicity than themselves appalls me. I really try not to focus my thoughts on the ugliness that surrounds the world because I find that I am much more content when I try to see the beauty in things.

Here are a couple examples of people or events that I would consider to be ugly:

This is a group of men at the Ebensee Concentration Camp during the Holocaust 

 

Osama Bin Laden  

Beauty or Things Beautiful

 

 

There is no one definition for the word beauty. I believe that everybody has the right to their own interpretation because it could relate to so many different things.  Although I don’t believe there is a single definition for the word, The Oxford English Dictionary focuses on the view of being externally beautiful. When I think of external beauty, I see models and the beautiful people that are put on billboards. They may not necessarily be the nicest of people, but since they are physically attractive, they are considered to be beautiful. To me, being beautiful on the inside is way more important than the physical appearance. The people who are kind to everyone, selfless, loving, and nonjudgmental are the ones who are truly beautiful. I’m not saying that good-looking people can’t be internally beautiful as well, because they certainly can; it just isn’t as common to have the combination of the two as it is to have one or the other.

While the beauty found in people is great, I think the kind found nature is even better. Sometimes a view is so breathtaking that you can’t put it into words. To me, the most beautiful scene in nature would be sitting at the peak of a mountain, looking at a serene lake with trees and flowers all around it, and being able to see for miles in the distance. The peacefulness in that moment would probably be the most beautiful part of the whole experience.

The types of beauty that I have mentioned so far are noticeable by nearly everybody. I think what people tend to forget, is the beauty in simplicity. I find so much joy in the little things in life, like pushing the button in the elevator or calling “shotgun!” to get the front seat in the car. These are the types of beautiful that make me happy everyday. I think that the beauty in simplicity is the most important kind because you can find it anywhere you go, and it never fails to put a smile on peoples’ faces.