The Real Point of Life: The Search for Beauty

Back in May, while in Istanbul for a business trip, I found myself tired & jetlagged in my hotel room. Not feeling particularly good & somewhat listless after a very busy day of work. As an introvert, I always need some alone time. 

I started watching this Japanime movie called Bubble (check out the teaser here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WItvH4Hoyag) on Netflix. The story is about young orphans who compete in parkour team battles in the wastelands of a future Tokyo. It is based loosely on the “Little Mermaid” story. I love Tokyo and the art was beautiful. I mean, really lifelike and magical. 

I felt so much better and happier after watching it. And it made me realize that the real spark of life is beauty. In fact, I would argue the real purpose of everything we should do beyond survival is the search for beautiful things. 

These could be beautiful landscapes, beautiful cities, beautiful buildings and architecture, beautiful people, beautiful ideas. Beautiful food. Beautiful pictures. Beautiful cars. Beautiful animals. Beautiful stories. Or beautiful moments like the birth of your child or her smile of happiness. What is more amazing than that?  

Beautiful is defined as “pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically” or “of a very high standard; excellent.”

The whole point of making money, of surviving is to get the chance to see and experience beautiful things. Yes, it’s a bit esoteric but this literally should be the whole point of living. It’s humanity’s eternal search for beauty in whatever form it takes. Beauty sparks joy. Joy in life is the point. Maybe the only point if you think about it. 

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.”