The Beauty in Objectivity
Beauty in Objectivity. Yes, I’m aware that statement may seem contrary to some. As the term beauty is typically used in a more emotional context, and the act of being objective is usually characterized by logic or factual observations. So, what do I mean by beauty in objectivity? First, let me start by defining the subjective and the objective.
The Subjective: When something is observed or judged based on or influenced by personal feeling or the viewpoints of an individual.
The Objective: When something is assessed or observed based on factual evidence and logic, rather than being influenced by emotions.
Since beauty often denotes value, what is the significance of looking at things and discussing them through a more objective lens? I once received a piece of advice that really resonated with me, and still does.
When you start to separate emotion from observations, ideas, or situations, you then gain wisdom.
Taking this thinking into everyday life, I realized that, socially, people tend to make conversations about personal matters or how you are feeling into objective topics. Essentially, this is ‘small talk’, keeping everything surface level and often untrue. Meanwhile, talking about factual or arbitrary topics, such as religion, society, or human existence, has become more subjective within a social context. And now more than ever — or within my 25 years of life — I feel as if society is becoming more polarized, as the willingness to look at something from another perspective is dissipating. People are only viewing things from their sole perspective or individualized experience, making the feeling of community disappear with society’s lack of empathy and compassion.
Especially with where the social climate has been lately, it has become increasingly noticeable to me that we, as a society, struggle with constructive discussions and looking at topics critically just out of intellectual curiosity. As people tend to see a different viewpoint and an attack on their beliefs or intelligence as synonymous. Now, there isn’t a problem with taking a subjective stance on an objective topic or observation. I mean, finding beauty in the objective would essentially be doing just that. It is when we let the emotion behind our subjectivity take over, or if we present it as objective, that we start to run into issues.
As you will soon learn, I am quite fascinated with the unknown and the human experience. I would definitely classify myself as an existentialist. If the concept of existentialism is foreign to you — unlike myself, who is currently in an ongoing, 7-8 year existential crisis — it is defined as,
A philosophical theory or approach which emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through the acts of will.*
It is a complex philosophy that encompasses many different topics. However, I will save that spiel for another time. My reason for introducing the concept now is my obsession with arbitrary constructs — or ‘rules’ we all agreed to but have no tangible reason or intrinsic basis for — and their role in our everyday lives. When going to share my findings or observations, all subjective in nature, I was met with backlash as people became defensive if it was in any way contrary to their thoughts, beliefs, or lifestyle. Although my stances are also subjective, my awareness of the objectivity of arbitrary constructs, most of the time, can keep me from attacking others or seeing their opinions as attacks.
In my opinion society would benefit from more open discussions and constructive, intellectual conversations with compassion and humility being our best friends. Because there is beauty in finding the balance of having enough confidence to stand strong in our opinions or beliefs, and being humble enough to know that we don’t have all the answers.
This is something to strive for — as a collective.
*Oxford Languages