Beauty

No phrase quite implies absolute subjectivity to the extent of “The eye of the beholder”. It is usually synonymous with beauty - a concept readily brought to mind, yet impossible to express; universally experienced yet intimately personal.

Of all the human characteristics, it is arguably our capacity to appreciate beauty in many and varied forms that most distinguishes us as truly human. Whatever its purpose and whatever we believe it to be, we cannot deny its presence and its almost unique status as an invariably positive engagement with the world around us.

All that being said, the experiencing of beauty is unavoidably processed within the struggle of our daily existence. Whether one person or another experiences beauty may therefore come down to accident of circumstance as much as it does personal attributes.

The focus of this discussion will be to delve into the concept of beauty rather than explore what is or is not beautiful. The following prompts may act as guide posts if desired:

• Is there a degree of objectivity to beauty, or is the subjective “eye of the beholder” absolute?
• What purpose does beauty serve on an individual and global level?
• What instincts or attributes within us provide us with the ability to experience beauty?
• Is beauty a uniquely human experience?
• Does an appreciation of beauty require the experiencer to be in a particular emotional state?
• Is the experiencing of beauty a luxury for the privileged?
• Is the capacity to appreciate beauty a trait that we should all aspire to foster, or is it more a continuum whereby some people are just more inclined to it than others?
• What are some universal threads that run through every experiencing of beauty?

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CUSTOMS:
You must register and be on the “Attendees - Going” list to attend.
Minimum spend of $10 at the cafe on food and/or drink. This enables us to have free use of their private room.

We meet UPSTAIRS at the Little Turkish Cafe.

Please arrive early to order food and/or drink before you join us. Several people arrive early and eat downstairs before the Meetup. You are welcome to join us.

Bring $1 to cover Meetup costs.

RSVP POLICY:
RSVPs and cancellations will be accepted up until 6 hours before the start of the meetup so that people who feel unwell on the day have time to change their RSVP and allow someone else to attend.

Being registered to attend and not attending OR cancelling your attendance after 12:30pm on Tuesday will be considered a 'No Show'.
Members with two 'No Shows' will be banned from attending further D&M Meetups.

This RSVP policy has become necessary due to the high number of last minute withdrawals and non-attendance. This unfairly causes people on the Waiting List to miss out. Thanks for your cooperation.