wabi-sabi wah-bee-sah-bee
A Japanese aesthetic that recognizes and appreciates the beauty in imperfections and natural change, throughout the cycle of growth and decay.
A Japanese aesthetic that recognizes and appreciates the beauty in imperfections and natural change, throughout the cycle of growth and decay.
Will Bontrager
January 30, 2023 @ 5:39 pm
This word is perfect for me, personally at this time in my life and professionally for a story that I’m writing.
First, I’m old, but still good looking 🙂
And, I had been phrasing and rephrasing a paragraph in a fiction story to describe the beauty of much experience showing itself in someone’s face. “Wabi-sabi” is the perfect word for that.
Wordpreneur
January 31, 2023 @ 1:18 am
There’re lots of Japanese words similar to it that capture profound concepts, none of whom have English counterparts. Many in other languages as well. Great for stimulating story/article ideas and angles, I think. I plan on featuring a lot more of them here.
Will Bontrager
January 31, 2023 @ 9:11 am
Yes, Japanese is indeed a rich language. In my very early 20s, I worked for a surplus store near Honolulu, Hawaii. One of my co-workers was Japanese, an older fellow. He spoke much about his culture and his language. I was more interested in girls than anything else at that period of my life, and have now forgotten much of the wisdom he imparted, to my regret. I always held him in high respect.