Moral Beauty: A Story of Love

I once had a 3rd grade student whose capacity for kindness was off the charts. If his peers were fighting, he helped calm them down. If a student was sad, he comforted them. He always made sure that no person was ever left out of his circle of friends. It was deeply inspiring as his teacher to witness every day what scientists call “moral beauty”—those acts of kindness, charity, self-sacrifice, courage, and the like that elicit an emotional response in the person watching them.

When we see acts of moral beauty, we feel uplifted and care more about the welfare of others. We are more hopeful, empathic, unselfish, and forgiving, and feel a deeper sense of connection with our community, with nature, and with all of humanity.

As one researcher wrote, “Moral beauty may be a story of love.”

Nicole Quinn, a 6th grade educator in Sacramento, California, introduced moral beauty to her students through Inspiring Virtue With Moral Beauty, a GGIE practice that takes less than 20 minutes and can be done with students of all ages.

Nicole started with the essential question for her project-based learning project, “How do we use images and words to convey the beauty that comes after struggle?” She first asked her students to define beauty. Here’s what they said:

Her students then watched a short 3-minute video that shows a person engaging in acts of moral beauty. (Yes, it was created by a Thai insurance company, but it’s really effective! I get that “glow-y” feeling in my heart—and a few tears fall—every time I watch it!) Here’s how the students’ ideas of beauty changed after the video:

Next, Nicole engaged in a conversation with her students about how beauty can be found in the struggles of life. She described, “The kids really started to have this profound conversation about what beauty truly means and how they can bring it into their communities.”

Nicole closes by sharing the takeaway lessons and profound a-has of her students:

Imagine if we could help students cultivate the ability to truly see the beauty in themselves and others—to “know that the beautiful is the end or highest good of human behavior.” What kind of world might we create?