Beautiful Quote by George Bernard Shaw
“The epithet beautiful is used by surgeons to describe operations which their patients describe as ghastly, by physicists to describe methods of measurement which leave sentimentalists cold, by lawyers to describe cases which ruin all the parties to them, and by lovers to describe the objects of their infatuation, however unattractive they may appear to the unaffected spectators.”
About This Quote
Source Play: Man and Superman, 1903
The word “beautiful” is applied to things that are actually unpleasant or harmful, highlighting the subjectivity and irony in how different professions label experiences.
In simple terms: People call unpleasant things “beautiful” to suit their perspective.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bias in language.
Themes
irony
subjectivity
language
perception
Mood
ironic
reflective
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- medical diagnosis
- scientific measurement
- legal cases
- romantic relationships
Key Concepts
Aesthetic relativism
semantic irony
Questions to Reflect On
- How does labeling affect our judgment?
- Can we see beyond flattering terms?
A Different Perspective
Words can mask reality, leading to misunderstanding.
![“Very often, those who express concern about (or even interest in) the conditions in which farmed animals are raised are disregarded as sentimentalists. But it’s worth taking a step back to ask who is the sentimentalist and who is the realist. […] Two friends are ordering lunch. One says, “I’m in…” quote by Jonathon Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61d/jonathon-safran-foer-63650_sentimentalism_very-often-those-who-express-concern-abo_202760.jpg)
![“An oxymoronic combination of the tough and tender, [Of Mice and Men] will appeal to sentimental cynics, cynical sentimentalists...Readers less easily thrown off their trolley will still prefer Hans Andersen. [Time 1937]” quote by Time-Life Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ba8/time-life-books-283358_bad-reviews_an-oxymoronic-combination-of-the-tough-a_1199332.jpg)
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
