Climate Movement Values: Beauty

Introductory Series Post #10.3

I’ve already made the case in post #3 for being aware of all of the beauty around us and within us and among us.

But is beauty a value? Remember that a value has three characteristics: (1) it inspires; (2) it guides, and; (3) it is valuable to us and worth striving for.

To value beauty, and not simply be aware of it or enjoy it, is to say that we want to defend it, we want to create it, we want to nurture it, we want more of it. We should not only strive to have eyes to see, we should strive to be beauty-creators, we should strive to support others as they create beauty.

For us to value beauty is to say we aren’t going to sleep-walk our way through our time of striving. We are going to wake up to beauty. We are going to be intentional about its creation, i.e. we will let beauty guide us in the implementation of our vision. We are going to let it inspire us to action. We are going to recognize that beauty is what everyone is due, and thus it is part of justice. Beauty is an inalienable right, given that it is part of “the pursuit of happiness” spoken of in America’s Declaration of Independence.

The actualization of each of our other Movement Values — love, justice, freedom, creativity, wisdom, pragmatism, non-violence, sustainability, and success — is beautiful. Striving towards and achieving our vision is beautiful.

We are a Movement of Beauty. We are justly impatient for beauty’s arrival, and striving to make our future come faster is beautiful, and both give us hope. We are beauty-creators and hope-makers.

Remember to check out earlier posts in this Introductory Series, especially our Movement Values of Love and Justice. If you like this post, please “like,” comment, and share with others.