Rainbows are a lot like ALL things of beauty. The closer we get to them, the more we try to possess them, the less beautiful they become. In the case of rainbows, they just disappear altogether.
Have you ever tried to chase a rainbow? Maybe find one of the ends? It’s impossible.
I recall once as a young man driving to find the end of one. No luck. It landed me in the middle of a field looking up and not seeing the rainbow at all. So I drove away. Once I got a distance away, all of a sudden I could see the rainbow again. It then occurred to me that I WAS at the end of it. I just couldn’t see it. You can’t SEE it when you’re in it.
Beauty can not and should not be possessed, it must roam free. We must learn to be content appreciating beauty where it is, and from where we stand.
It is absolutely true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That’s why beauty is seen. It’s an illusion we create. It’s a feeling. And very intangible. Meant to be appreciated at a distance.
When we confuse worth with beauty is where we get into dilemmas. One does not the same as the other but meant to use one to enhance the other.
I am with you on all except the illusion and worth parts. Beauty can take many forms, not all of which are visual, but I still believe that they are intangible. Beauty can be in an act of kindness, THAT is no illusion. Beauty also has value (subjectively most of the time) as acts of kindness make the world a better place. But no matter what form beauty comes in, it cannot be possessed unless it come from within; I.E. we already had it.
But visual beauty alone is an illusion, but not one to be dismissed offhand. It has the power to stir feelings of peace and faith. They are not entirely useless.
I’ll give this some more thought.