In a commonplace environment at an unexpected hour...
Do we perceive beauty?
People have a strict standard for beauty. If they see something, for example the violin player, in a setting that wouldn't fit their standard for beauty, they would probably overlook that "beautiful thing." We live in such a materialistic world, it's astounding the things people don't take the time to appreciate just because they come across something unusual and unique and they weren't expecting it.
Do we stop to appreciate it?
Often times, no. Most people nowadays are extremely time bound and think mainly of themselves. If a person isn't expecting/planning to take time out of their day to appreciate a street performer, they're going to stroll past without giving it a second thought.
Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
No. It is a very rare occasion that a person will stop and recognize something beautiful if they aren't expecting it. For example, in the metro station, people didn't give Joshua Bell a second glance because of the setting. People have the subconscious thought that in order for something to be beautiful, the setting, presentation, and response must all fit the same standard. It's shocking how many things are overseen just because people are so wrapped up in ideals, that something unique is seen as not correct and is not accepted.
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
A lot of people don't listen to or appreciate classical music, so they may have assumed Joshua Bell was just another performer trying to make it. To the people living in that area, seeing performers like that is a daily occurrence, so it really isn't a surprise that more people didn't stop for a listen. Based on this experiment, odds are people are missing a lot of unexpected beauty in this world. For example, looking at your phone during a car ride instead of looking out the window to catch flowers blooming in spring or the sun shining through clouds after a rain. There are so many tiny things in this world that only the small percentage of people appreciate because they aren't wrapped up in the societal standards of beauty. If you take a few minutes to pause your schedule and take in what's around, ignoring the ideals of others, you'd probably catch something beautiful, by your own standards.
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