Thepowerofbeauty美的力量ByRobertGAllman罗伯特·G·奥尔曼Beautyisessentiallyaformofenergy,somethingthatradiatesfromafineexampleofabsolutelyanything,whetheradelightfultasteorsmell,oragorgeoussight.Thisenergyisineffectaformofinformation,nature'sbarcodetellingushowhealthythatattitudeis,becausehealth-bringingthingsincreasethelikelihoodthatweandourgeneswillsurvive.HarvardphychologistNancyEtcoffobservesthat,withthisvitalequationverymuchinmind,ourbrainsbehavelikeahighlysensitiveradarconstantlyhuntingasignal.Ifwe'reshownthephotographofaface,ittakesuslessthanafifthofasecondtomakeajudgementofitsbeauty.Muchofthelanguageofthisenergyishard-wiredanduniversal.Eventhreemonth-oldbabieshavebeenshowntoprefergazingatconventionallybeautifulfaces,andadultsfromdiverseethnicculturescanallagreeonwhoisexactlyhowgood-lookinginotherpopulations.Experimentalstudieshavealsoestablishedthattheactiveingredientsincludesymmetry,order,proportionandbalance.Sincebeautyissopowerfulandimportant,wecanbethankfulthattherearemanywaystobebeautiful,andverymanysources.Andthoughwemostreadilythinkofexperiencingthatenergythroughourfivephysicalsensesofsight,sound,taste,touchandsmell,otherdimensionsareevenmorepotent.Forexample,thereismovement-whichcanbetheinternal,kinaestheticsenseofourownbodiesindanceorsport;orthethrillofseeinganartorcraftwellperformed.Consider,too,howideas,insights,andsolutions,canbedeemedbeautiful.Amongscientists,Einstein'sTheoryofRelativityisunanimouslypraisedforitsextraordinarybeauty.Yale'sDavidGelernter,aprofessorofcomputerscience,hasarguedconvincinglythat"lustforbeauty"hasdriventhegreattechnologicaldiscoveries.Itisnoaccient,hewouldclaim,thatMitchell'sSpitfire,withitsMerlinenginesanddistinctivewings,couldhelpwinawarwhilealsoseemingwonderfultotheeyeandear.Andjustastheplanforabankrobbery,abridge,oracomputerprogramcanallworkbeautifully,socanawholepersonality.Weknowfromthestudiesofmanylifetimesthathumansfindabalanceoflovingandconfidenceandkindnessandhumourtobehighlyattractiveandveryhealthyqualities.Yet,thegreatestsourceofbeauty,forthesheerintensityandvolumeofpositiveemotionitbringstoourlives,isthebeautifulrelationship--theoneinwhichwecanthriveandflourishandgrowbeyondourselves.Thisfertilebondcanexistbetweentwolivingthings,orapersonandaplace,orapersonandaskill,andtheworldbecomesonlymorebeautifulthemoredeeplyweunderstandit.Therefore,wewillfindprofoundhappinessinnarturingandappreciatingdiversebeautiesinwhateverwayswecan.
