The art of paying attention: Beauty, teaching, and the act of love
Thomas Aquinas once wrote, “To know a thing is to awaken to its depth, complexity, and presence.” According to Aquinas, everything—and everyone—secretly and profoundly desires to be known.
Teaching and learning have always been my passions, and Aquinas’ insight illuminates how central beauty is to both. Beauty, in this sense, is about depth—the depth at which we truly see something. It means looking beyond our old, cloudy perceptions, beyond the “image” of who we think a person, student, or client is, to see them fully in the present moment.
The philosopher Simone Weil captured this beautifully when she wrote, “Paying attention to another is an act of love.” When we pay attention in this way, we create the conditions for authentic growth and understanding.
It’s like watching a flower blossom—quiet, patient, and full of wonder.
