When still being children, people tend to be curious about the world around them. They explore it thoroughly, trying to get to know more about their immediate environment. However, as time goes by, they lose their ability to see something special in ordinary things and yield under the pressure of routine. Those who manage to develop their senses and still have an opportunity to notice the beauty of the natural world tend to connect their life with art while others just lose this chance. Still, it can hardly be denied that the value of appreciating this kind of beauty is rather high because it allows the representatives of the general public to find a reason to be happy and inspired every day regardless of the situation.
In daily life, people are usually concerned with their problems and needs. They spend lots of time focusing on their work and home duties so that they lack rest sometimes. As a result, those who live in this way are often dissatisfied. Trying to improve their situation, they tend to start searching for pleasant activities and beautiful things, which takes much time and effort. People got used to the idea that those things that can make them feel better are outside of their routine. From their point of view, these are some distant places, relationships they do not have, the freedom they lack, etc. Even searching for beauty that impresses them and makes me feel delighted, the representatives of the general public go to some special places, such as museums or galleries. However, studies show that this attitude prevents them from experiencing deep happiness in the everyday moments of their lives. Delistraty states that people who can perceive aesthetical beauty can become happy even regardless of the fulfillment of those usual markers that include wealth, career, etc. Daily happiness can be found in the beauty of nature: a sunset, a flower, or a bird in flight.
One should remember that nature can be not only delightfully beautiful but also sublime. For example, huge mountains and wilderness are rather dangerous. Being next to them, people tend to experience fear because of the possible threat that surrounds them, such as numerous wild animals, fast rivers, extreme height, or frost. If focusing on the terrifying side of nature, people are not likely to have any pleasant emotions, that is why it is significant to learn how to appreciate it aesthetically. For example, when looking at a picture of a lion, a lot of individuals find it to be beautiful and powerful.
Thus, it is also possible to control oneself and focus on such attitudes when dealing with real objects and creatures. Needless to say that people should not forget about their safety as they face sublime nature, but it is also significant for them to be able to have an opposite view. In this framework, it can bring the strongest emotions, those that cannot be experienced when dealing with delightfully beautiful things (Burke). The sublime combination of danger and pleasure affects people, making them feel happy and satisfied. This feeling is connected with extraordinary objects and places as a rule and makes people do the things they rarely do, such as being on the roof of a skyscraper. Still, even going to a zoo can be enough to face the might of some gorgeous animals.
Personally, I had an opportunity to get in contact with the natural world during the last holidays. My friend and I decided to go to the forest for a walk just to take a rest and enjoy the beauty of the things around us. For about a half an hour we were following a narrow path full of turns and twists, which allowed us to have a look at little colorful flowers that could be hardly found in any shop, huge old trees, especially oaks, that were impossible to embrace, and various birds that would fly nearby. Everything around us moved and changed, but for one bird that could easily fit in my hand. It was totally gray and had no extraordinary features.
This little creature would lead us all along the path for about a hundred meters and then flew away. I saw it looking at us with anxiety and understood that it was trying to take us away from the nest. This idea made me feel upset because I believe that people should coexist with nature but not frighten it. However, it would be better if all parents cared about their children just like that bird. In this framework, I totally agree with Dillard’s idea that human beings are too focused on useless things, and it would be advantageous for them to try perceiving the world around them as animals. Even though I consider this experience to be more connected with delicate than sublime nature, it provided me with unforgettable feelings.
All in all, I think that human beings should pay more attention to the beauty of nature and ordinary things. A new vision can give them a chance to start a happier life full of excitement and joy. Maybe then there will be fewer environmental problems, and people would be able to perceive the true beauty and meaning of life.
Works Cited
Burke, Edmund. “On the Sublime and Beautiful.” bartleby, 2015. Web.
Delistraty, Cody. “The Beauty-Happiness Connection.” Theatlantic. 2014. Web.
Dillard, Annie. “Living Like Weasels.” courses, n.d. Web.