When Dostoevsky said, “Beauty will save the world,” he wasn’t referring to surface beauty. He was pointing to something deeper—poetic beauty. As James Hillman described it: “The way in which the Gods touch our senses, reach the heart, and attract us into life.” This kind of beauty has the power to save the world. Why…
Dostoevsky said, “Beauty will save the world.” But he wasn’t talking about surface beauty—the kind that’s fleeting, decorative, or superficial. He was pointing to something much deeper: poetic beauty. This is the beauty that moves us, awakens us, and connects us to something greater than ourselves. It’s the kind of beauty that stirs the soul…
I’ve worked directly with metaphor for 30 years, both professionally and personally, and there’s one image that has never let me go: I’m a plant rooted in rich, fertile soil. On a personal level, when I don’t know what to do or something in life is troubling me, all I need is to open myself…
Throughout history, philosophers have asserted that “the fundamental nature of the world is aesthetic.” Thinkers like Alfred North Whitehead, Gregory Bateson, James Hillman, Martin Foss, and Donald Winnicott all emphasized the profound connection between aesthetics and how we perceive the world. Interestingly, the word aesthetics comes from the Greek aisthanesthai, meaning “the ability to perceive.”…
In late December 2006, during a meeting with the president of a small university, I was asked what course I wanted to teach in their Ph.D. Psychology program. While I had curricula prepared, I surprised myself by blurting out, “Metaphor.” The response felt immediate, bypassing thought entirely, as if something spoke through me. I wasn’t…
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