Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Don’t be too quick to put stock in every enlightened phrase. It may not be true.

The phrase dates back to ancient Greece, about 2,300 years ago. Regardless of the language or culture, most of us would agree to the notion that beauty can be found anywhere by someone somewhere.

Is there anything that is universally ugly? Besides Tommy Lee Jones?

It would appear that even William Shakespeare didn’t mind grabbing a few less-than-original thoughts. In 1581, in Loves Labours Lost, he penned: “Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye.”

That’s the same thing, right?

How about American statesman, Ben Franklin? In Poor Richard’s Almanac, Ben wrote, “Beauty, like supreme dominion, is but supported by opinion.”

The rhyme is a nice touch. Ben was good with the extra touch, hence the visits to Paris.

The phrase in its exact form was probably penned by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford in Ireland. The Irish have produced many great writers through the years.

However, it took Wales to produce Catherine Zeta-Jones. Is there anyone, anywhere who would not consider her physically attractive, beautiful?

That part of the world seems to hold writers in high esteem, especially those who consider beauty to be whatever you want it to be.

Take Scottish philosopher David Hume, who, as a philosopher, managed to take the concise and give it a second helping of meat and potatoes with, “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them.”

Well, duh. But is that always true? Is there no form of beauty or horror for which humankind can become fully united in agreement?

Yes.

Dolly Parton has big boobs.

Are we in agreement as to the beauty of that observation?