Defining Beauty

Define "beauty" from Smith's perspective. Do you agree?
According to Smith, beauty is something that is constantly changing. The continual changes in our definitions of beauty depend on varying viewpoints, the current cultural standards, and our emotional ties to the thing we are (or are not) describing as beautiful. Howard, for example, finds Kiki beautiful not only because of her young face, but also because he knows that face, and finds beauty in the familiarity and memories associated with him. He finds beauty in Claire because of her tiny, "yogic" body, and perhaps even in the sheer difference between her body and Kiki's body. Clearly, the perception of beauty is constantly changing. There can never be one, authoritative definition of beauty. But as much as beauty changes with our own personal perceptions, it is impossible to ignore the fact that many of these perceptions are not self-created--rather, society plays a large role in creating them for us.