1. What Is Appreciation of Beauty?
Appreciation of beauty is one of the 24 VIA Character Strengths, reflecting our capacity to notice, value, and savor excellence, whether in art, nature, everyday moments, or acts of moral goodness. It is the ability to pause, admire, and let ourselves be moved by life’s elegance, harmony, or skillful design. Within the VIA framework, this strength sits inside the virtue of Transcendence, qualities that connect us to something larger and inspire awe.
Core elements:
- Aesthetic admiration: Responding with wonder to sights, sounds, movement, and craftsmanship
- Moral elevation: Noticing and valuing goodness or virtue in people and actions
- Recognition of excellence: Sensing mastery in any domain, from music to mathematics
How measured:
Researchers assess appreciation of beauty through the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), using self-report items such as:
- “I have a deep appreciation for beautiful things.”
- “I often notice beauty in nature, art, or everyday life.”
- “Moral goodness or excellence in others moves me emotionally.”
Data anchor:
A 2010 study found that people high in appreciation of beauty report greater life satisfaction and lower stress (Smith et al., 2010). Even micro-moments of beauty, like pausing to watch sunlight on the wall, are linked to boosts in well-being.
2. Behavior & Examples
Expression in daily life
High appreciation:
- Pauses to notice the scent of coffee or the lines of a city skyline
- Finds delight in ordinary details others overlook
- Seeks out art, nature, or moving music for renewal
Low appreciation:
- Rushes through routines, rarely noticing or savoring sensory details
- Dismisses “sentimentality” or aesthetic value as distractions
- Misses opportunities to connect through shared awe or wonder
In action
The Artist: Finds wonder in small textures, colors, or unexpected beauty.
Coaching prompt: How can you nourish your creativity with a daily ritual of noticing?
The Scientist: Feels awe at nature’s patterns or mathematical symmetry.
Coaching prompt: Can you connect your logical strengths to a sense of wonder for greater resilience?
The Caregiver: Notices “small kindnesses”—a gentle gesture, a child’s laugh.
Coaching prompt: What beautiful moment replenished your empathy today?
3. Strengths & Pitfalls
Benefits
- Enhances mindfulness: Directing attention to beauty anchors us in the present; positive emotions from savoring beauty support psychological coping (Fredrickson, 2008)
- Deepens relationships: Sharing awe, even in brief moments, can increase closeness and trust (Stellar et al., 2017)
- Sparks innovation: Creative flow and inventive thinking are often sparked through noticing beauty in the unexpected (Silvia et al., 2014)
- Increases resilience: Small doses of awe or wonder buffer us against daily stress (Gabriel et al., 2016)
Pitfalls
- Distraction: Over-focusing on aesthetics may lead to procrastination or avoidance
- Perfectionism: Chasing beauty can trigger unrealistic standards or dissatisfaction
- Idealism: Excessively seeking what is beautiful may erode acceptance of ordinary or “imperfect” realities
4. Cross-Domain Parallels
- Big Five: Closely related to Openness to Experience, those receptive to art, sensations, and novel perspectives naturally express more appreciation of beauty.
- MBTI: Resonates most with Intuitive (N) types, attuned to patterns and deeper meanings.
- Ayurveda: Linked to the Vata dosha, which brings sensitivity, inspiration, and an affinity for the senses.
- Zodiac: Mirrors Libra’s love of harmony, balance, and aesthetic pleasure.
- Hero Archetypes / Shadow: Embodied by the Muse or Seer, those who inspire vision, but sometimes risk withdrawal into dreaminess or disengagement from practical realities.
Integration Map: Picture a spectrum where “appreciation of beauty” overlaps with openness, intuition, inspiration, and the drive to elevate what is ordinary into something meaningful.
5. This Strength in Lifemap’s Life Categories
- Career
Spotting beauty in process fuels engagement. How does noticing excellence change your workday? - Relationships
Shared appreciation bonds people. What beauty have you witnessed in a loved one lately? - Family
Reverence for beauty teaches wonder to younger generations. How could a beauty ritual bring your family closer? - Emotional
Moments of beauty calm the nervous system. What moved you today? - Spiritual
Experiencing awe elevates meaning. When did you last feel lifted by something beautiful? - Health & Fitness
Movement’s grace can spark motivation. Where do you see beauty in your routines? - Lifestyle
Noticing small sights or sounds enriches ordinary life. What details fill your cup right now? - Financial
Redefines “value” beyond money. How do you measure beauty’s worth in your life? - Community
Shared beauty connects people. What could you co-create with others? - Creativity
Beauty sparks ideas. What inspired your imagination today? - Learning
Appreciation deepens curiosity. Where is your sense of wonder leading you to explore? - Life Vision
Holding beauty as a value brings richness to goals. How does your vision honor what is beautiful to you?
6. The Lifemap Holistic Coaching Perspective
Appreciation of beauty is powerful, but as with any strength, it doesn’t operate in isolation. Even our deepest affinities can become habits, or blind spots, if not balanced by self-awareness and broader perspective. Meaning and progress arise when strengths are integrated, not just catalogued.
At Lifemap, we blend your unique strengths with modern psychology, time-tested philosophies, and practical coaching tools. The result is a multidimensional self-portrait, like a palette where each trait, including appreciation of beauty, is brought into focus and seasoned with wisdom for your unique journey.
Integration Map: Imagine your strengths as the colors, your experiences as the canvas, and meaning is the evolving artwork, completed, if ever, by mindful action and reflection.
7. Conclusion & Coaching CTA
Understanding and savoring beauty is an act of building meaning, brick by mindful brick. Those who take time to notice and share beauty consistently report higher life satisfaction and deeper presence (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). But as with every strength, appreciation of beauty isn’t a fixed trait, it grows through intentional, curious attention.
If you feel ready to deepen your own appreciation, explore Lifemap’s free 7-day Hero’s Journey email course. You’ll discover practical steps to place wonder at the center of your story, and learn how to meet life’s changes with greater awareness, purpose, and courage.
What beauty has moved you today, and where might that wonder lead
