21 levels of Self-Deception: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

T W E N T Y - O N E L E V E L S

here: All our dealings with others might be deeper if we were more aware. These two views of transcendence — via art/creativity and via relationship — are not so distinct as they may first appear. Our relationships, even simple friendships, are mediated through the body and emotions. The body is always interested in beauty of some sort.

Beauty then is not simply concerned with the arts or aesthetics or with attractiveness of physical appearance. Whilst emanating from mystery, it is nevertheless within the province of everyone to make beauty manifest in the world. Beauty inspires beauty — it inspires us to creativity. This can be in such things as our response to nature, care of others, friendships or good business practice. All these things, both simple and profound, can be gifts to the world. We are touching the void of mystery when we seek to bring beauty into the world. It is a means of grace, a pragmatic rather than an abstract spirituality. Making grace manifest in the world is a beautiful act.

A further paradoxical aspect to beauty is that beauty and imperfection go together. Otto Rank describes the quest for perfection as fundamentally an ego quest rather than a genuine spiritual quest. The search for beauty however, and discovering beauty in the midst of imperfection, is ultimately a quest which will transcend ego. It cannot be differentiated from a quest for the highest good. Richard Jefferies says: ‘He who has got the sense of beauty in his eye can find it in things as they really are.’ So, even in the imperfections of our world, beauty can be found. Even in the humdrum

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