Is being “Aesthetically Minded” a bad thing? Science says no.
“Why are girls so concerned with good lookingness??” - Tony DiSilvestro, age 5 (my little brother)
He posed this thoughtful question to my mom one day as my sister and I meticulously preened in the bathroom, thus making everyone late. I’m well aware that I am known for my attention to appearance, but I would never give up the fight that easily. To young Tony, I respond with 3 counter questions:
What like that’s a bad thing??
Why do you assume it’s just girls, huh?
Can you even prove that I’m “concerned with good lookingness” as you have asserted?
As for the first two hard-hitting questions, I am awaiting further data analytics, but when it comes to the the third query, we are making headway! Surprisingly, scientists did not adopt the phrase “good lookingness”, but they did develop a new scale that measures Aesthetic Mindset, linked here.
An aesthetic mindset is simply how aware you are of the arts and beauty that surround you, and how you bring them into your life with purpose. A fascinating new book, Your Brain on Art, explains that people who are aesthetically minded share 4 key attributes:
A high level of curiosity
A love of playful, open-ended exploration
Keen sensory awareness
A drive to engage in creative activities as a maker and/or beholder.
The book elaborates, saying, “being in the aesthetic mindset is being present and attuned to the environment you are in. It fosters an ongoing connection to your sensory experiences and opens the door to creating art and appreciating aesthetic experiences- that ultimately change you.”
But, let me pull back for a second. If being aesthetically minded strengthens your ability to be present, maintain ongoing connection, and constantly evolve, there’s no way that could be a bad thing.
In fact, it might make us…better than everyone??😏
Sarcasm aside, I would really love to know- how many times a day do you consider beauty? Not just physical appearance, but in the way its feels to experience it. The science is telling us in big flashing lights: to prioritize beauty is to live a more connected and fluid life. Don’t stop at bringing beauty into your closet, or home, or makeup routine. Intentionally welcome it into the small pockets of time that make up a day.
How do you make moments more fully felt? How do you delight your senses? How do you cultivate deeper connection with your most precious assets- time, community, wellbeing?
I’ll keep workshopping nicknames while I wait for science to officially deem us: Superior Beings Concerned with Good Lookingness. (SBCWGL isn’t really rolling of the old tongue) In the meantime take the survey and tell me how you rate on the Aesthetic Mindset Index.