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Why Some Things Are More Beautiful For Having Been Broken
Beauty in Japanese philosophy
The other day, I met with a friend whom I had not seen for three years. He is one of my closest friends, and I felt joy when he asked to meet and catch up.
When we met, he told me that 2022 wasn’t his favorite year. He added that while it wasn’t difficult, it was filled with dissatisfaction. He felt broken because of life’s difficulties, particularly with financial burdens, unfulfilled dreams, and being stuck in a job he was dissatisfied with.
Ironically, he didn’t say it was an unhappy year. While it had all these downs, his current situation made him appreciate all the little things he didn’t pay much attention to.
We were both Philosophy majors, and as we conversed, I couldn’t help but remember our college lecture on Japanese Aesthetics, the concept of imperfection, and the reality that broken things can be made more beautiful for having been broken.
Wabi Sabi —Life Is Transient
Japanese Aesthetics goes beyond perceptions of beauty. It is a state of harmony with nature and self.
In Japanese Aesthetics, Wabi-Sabi, is an idea of living that accepts transience and imperfection. Sometimes, this idea is described as imperfect, incomplete yet serenely beautiful.
Japan is prone to natural disasters. Maybe that’s the reason why Japanese people are aware not only of the beauty that comes with each changing season, but of the ephemerality of life as well.
Typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis are a constant threat to them, but a sense of acceptance is rooted in their heart. Perhaps, with the awareness that life can be taken at any moment, one realizes the beauty of the here and now.
Wabi-Sabi celebrates inevitable changes brought by the natural cycle of life — growth, decay, and rebirth. It sees beauty in each stage. It shows us that as life goes on, it continues to develop. The changes we experience should be welcomed because they add to our story.
Every moment is savored without inordinately hoping for it to last forever. With our youth comes age. With joy comes sorrow. With life comes death.
