“To regard beauty as a luxury adornment or a social signifier was to miss the true potential of the experience.”

Armstrong’s statement is a powerful one, and I believe it to be very true. I think what the author is hinting at her is that we as a society regard beauty as something we should all strive for. The public puts out a perception that “this is what were supposed to look like” when showing a model or an ad, but in reality what make us beautiful is how different we are from one another.

I view beauty not in the way the public views beauty, I view beauty as how much I enjoy being around that person or that something. I think beauty is truly beautiful when it makes you laugh or makes you cry.

When we recognise beauty in a piece of music, or the graciousness of someone’s conduct, we see things that we know we have neglected or betrayed, and we feel an astonishing combination of anguish and delight.

Armstrong has an interesting quote here as he examines how we react to beauty in a piece of music. We appreciate it when we hear it but we are angry that it took us so long to find  out it was beautiful.