Developing Good Taste

I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of good taste and how little it is mentioned.

I’m constantly awed by my creative friends who develop strong and thoughtful opinions across different topics.

My observation is that they don’t just passively consume information. They dig deep, asking why things are the way they are and how they inform culture. They curate, reflect and refine their views constantly.

This curiosity applies to simple, everyday things too. Why do you prefer this particular brand of coffee, this movie director’s style, or this piece of furniture over the others?

Good taste isn’t only important for the arts. It will continue to be a critical skill in every industry as AI commoditises labour. It is foundational to developing better decision making, visionary thinking and communication skills.

Seth Godin says that “good taste is knowing what other people want just before they do”. I think this is only one half of the puzzle.

Good taste is also deeply knowing what we want. Developing true empathy for ourselves and expressing our opinions is sometimes equally, or more challenging than simply observing the behaviours of others.

Developing new experiences, articulating knowledge and harnessing conviction through honest self-reflection is key.

I’m learning to be more thoughtful about this myself.