Aesthetic Intelligence: Being Able To Sense Beauty
The concept of beauty is anything but easy to define. The Italian psychotherapist and philosopher Piero Ferrucci proposes a broader understanding of beauty with his theory of aesthetic intelligence.
Throughout history countless thinkers and philosophers have attempted it, some more successful than others. Is it an aesthetic standard? A combination of colors and shapes? A feeling? Or is it some kind of spiritual joy?
Violence against animals, child abuse, wars, catastrophes and the wrath of nature… Often it is necessary to see destructive ugliness to understand beauty. Moreover, seeing ugly things helps us to understand that beauty is not just something superficial, emotional or ambiguous.
Whatever beauty may be, it seems to possess an extraordinary power to heal the soul.
Aesthetic intelligence is a way to understand beauty
Beauty is confusing because it is subjective, what one finds beautiful may not necessarily be beautiful for another. Sometimes we can’t even understand why someone else thinks something is beautiful. This is what we mean by ‘aesthetic intelligence’. It is seeing beauty where others see nothing at all.
Aesthetic intelligence consists of three main things that determine the degree of aesthetic perception. These essentials are the aesthetic range, the depth of experience and the ability to integrate beauty. These three variables exist in different ways and to varying degrees in each of us.
Aesthetic Range
Those with a wider aesthetic range are able to experience beauty in more situations. For example, there are people who just can’t understand why other people like music so much.
These people, on the other hand, are able to find beauty in poetry, movies, landscapes, home decorations or the sound of rain on the roof, for example.
These people are able to experience beauty in a thousand simple situations of everyday life. Not everyone is familiar with this way of experiencing beauty.
The depth of experience
Our idea of beauty also differs from person to person. Experiencing beauty can subtly ‘touch’ someone who can recognize it, but is otherwise unaffected by it. He experiences it as something ‘external’ that has little effect on him.
Yet there are times when beauty can permeate your whole being. It takes you completely over and arouses feelings in you that are difficult to explain because they are so intense. You may not even know how to explain how you feel. This is a very intense feeling of joy.
The ability to integrate beauty
The ability to integrate the beauty you perceive explains why some forms of beauty ‘touch’ and others ‘change’. Integrating beauty means that beauty not only touches you, but also transforms you. In other words, it changes your thinking patterns.
Beauty enriches your life
People with a smaller aesthetic range also live in a world that is more scarce and limited. Not only that, they also have a less flexible personality.
There seems to be a link between belonging to this category and one’s ability to adapt to new environments and circumstances. This means that these people find it more difficult to deal with changes.
In contrast, people who have a broad aesthetic range often develop a more curious personality. They are more likely to delve into and embrace new ideas and projects. These people also have a great ability to be amazed and enjoy experiences.
They are much more flexible in the situations they face, with other people and themselves. Also, people with a wide aesthetic range are better able to connect with others, have a higher self-esteem and a much more intense life spirit.
Many people consider it fundamental to surround themselves with beauty. In fact, it is as necessary for them as experiencing happiness. This is not so crazy.
In his book, Beauty and the Soul: The Extraordinary Power of Everyday Beauty to Heal Your Life , Piero Ferrucci claims that depriving yourself of beauty can lead to negative emotions. These include depression, restlessness, unexplained aggression and a deep sense of uselessness.
