💫Is It Permissible to Admire?

 

There are many choices of words for admiration in English: impressed, amazed, fascinated, wonder, marvel, bemused, rhapsodic, the following is a discussion about admiration or admiring.

1. The Meaning of Amazement According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI)

According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), amazement means astonishment accompanied by praise, amazement, or astonishment. This term is used to describe the feeling of amazement when seeing, hearing, or witnessing something considered extraordinary, great, or beautiful. Admiration is an inner vibration that arises when one recognizes beauty or greatness beyond oneself.

2. Admiration and the Beginning of Love

Admiration is often the seed of love. It arises from the desire to possess or be close to something deemed valuable. When that sense of belonging is disturbed, jealousy arises—a sign that love has grown from admiration. Admiration is the first doorway to love; it does not possess yet, but it already desires to approach (What Is Love, and Why Do We Question It? February 26, 2026); (Is It Really Jealousy? February 28, 2026);  (What Does It Mean to Miss You? May 10, 2026).

3. Awe as a Mirror of the Soul

Awe is not simply a spontaneous reaction, but rather a reflection of the soul's perception of beauty. It demonstrates that humans are still capable of seeing things beyond themselves as a source of inspiration, not a threat. One who can still admire is spiritually alive (Why Do We Admire and Appreciate Aesthetic March 31, 2026); (Want To Express Yourself? May 11, 2026)

4. Ethical Dimension: Can We Be Amazed?

Amazement is permissible, even necessary—as long as it doesn't turn into worship/adoration or dependence. Admiration means respect, not submission. It is a form of respect for creation, not an abdication of one's identity. Healthy admiration cultivates gratitude, not inferiority (Are You Happy As The Secret of Worship and Observance? May 09, 2026); (Why People Keep and Ask for Hope? March 23, 2026); (Is Piety an Expression of Hope? March 26, 2026); (Why Everyone Has Dreams? April 02, 2026)

5. Admire, Administration, and Admiral

The words admire, administration, and admiral share common etymological roots in Latin and Arabic, opening up space for philosophical reflection. Admire comes from the Latin admirari — a combination of ad (“toward”) and mirari (“amazement, admiration”), which literally means to direct one's gaze with admiration. Administration comes from ad (“toward”) and ministrare (“to serve, assist”), meaning to direct oneself to serve or fulfill a common need. Meanwhile, admiral (in Indonesian: laksamana) is derived from the Arabic amīr al-baḥr, meaning “naval commander.”

Philosophically, these three terms denote a human movement toward something deemed valuable: admire is inner service through awe, administration is outer service through management actions, and admiral is leadership that navigates the seas — both physical seas and the seas of meaning in documents, writings, and modern management. Thus, admiration, service, and leadership are not separate entities, but rather a series of movements toward order and appreciation. Awe breeds respect, administration embodies respect in action, and admirals maintain direction so that service and management remain on the right track (Do You Know About Management? February 27, 2026).

✨ Philosophical Reflection

Admiration is the bridge between observation, expression, and appreciation. It connects the eye with the heart, logic with feeling. "In awe, humans learn to recognize beauty without possessing it". This is what gives rise to conflict and debate about "Love must possess?" or "Love does not have to possess?" which causes turmoil in hopes, dreams, and the reality of how happy a person is in living his life (Why People Avoid Disappointment? April 01, 2026).

✨ Admire Across Languages

The word admire carries fascinating cross-linguistic connections. In Arabic, يُعجَب ب (yuejab b) comes from the root ‘ajib, meaning “amazing,” “extraordinary,” or “wonderful.” This root gave rise to the Indonesian word ajaib (“magical, astonishing”), and in Betawi slang, ajib shifted to mean “cool,” “fun,” or “delicious.” This can be seen from the use of Arabic texts and scripts other than echoes, mirrors, and examples of the prefix ب ( ba ) in Arabic often indicates: Isti'anah (Indicating Tools/Asking for Help), Lil Ilshaq (Indicating the Meaning of Attaching/Adjacent), At-Ta'diyah (Transition of Verb Function), At-Ta'lil (Indicating Cause and Effect), Verb Prefixes in Arabic Dialect (Ammiyah): a characteristic of conversational Arabic (dialects such as Egyptian or Levantine/Syrian). It is used to express habits or events that are currently taking place (Has Romanticism Bewitched You? April 13, 2026); (Comfort Has Hypnotized You? May 09, 2026)

In Ancient Greek, θαυμάζω (thavmázo/thaumazō) means “to marvel,” “to be astonished,” or “to admire.” It derives from the noun θαῦμα (thaûma), meaning “wonder” or “miracle.” From this root also comes trauma in Latin, originally meaning “wound,” but still tied to profound experiences that leave lasting impressions. Admiration in Greek thus reflects a deep encounter with the extraordinary, capable of stirring both joy and vulnerability (Why Is It Called Trauma As The Secret of Human Life and Death? May 08, 2026)

In Latin, admirari combines ad (“toward”) and mirari (“to wonder, to marvel”), literally “to direct oneself toward wonder.” This root produced admire in English, administrare (administration, “to serve”), and even admiral (from Arabic amīr al-baḥr, “commander of the sea”). Philosophically, these terms show admiration as a continuum: it begins with inner awe (admire), manifests in outward service (administration), and culminates in leadership (admiral), guiding others across the “sea of meaning” in texts, documents, and management.

Thus, across languages, admire is not just an emotion but a universal movement of the human spirit — from marveling at beauty, to serving what is valued, to steering collective purpose with respect and vision.

🛡️ Disclaimer/Editorial Note

This article is reflective and philosophical in nature. Its purpose is to broaden understanding of the meaning of awe in the context of language and the human soul. This article is not intended as psychological or theological advice, but rather as a literary work that invites readers to reflect on the relationship between awe, love, and self-awareness.