Is There Accounting for Taste?
Recently I was watching a vid of a controversial figure who made the claim that we do not choose our tastes. This caused something interesting to move inside of me, and so I’ve been sitting with it, wondering about it.
There’s the tired old adage of “no accounting for taste”—which good ole MWD defines as:
there is no way to understand why some people like something while other people do not
which … I don’t really agree with. I think there are many ways to understand (or at least try to understand) why someone likes something and doesn’t like another thing. Likewise, we can see how opinions are formed and molded by influence and perspective-taking. So that’s a no-go for TVS.
But that wasn’t the claim. The claim—and it was delivered casually as part of a larger spiel—is that we cannot choose our tastes, which is not at all the same as not being able to understand them.
I am inclined to agree with this idea. We can choose what we do (at least sometimes) and that includes adjusting our views of how we think and feel; but, we cannot control our thoughts or feelings. Which begets the question then: From where do our taste preferences arise?
Anyway, all of this is meant to be suggestive and to invite discussion, not provide a definitive answer.
So …
What do you think, mah intermittent and oh-so-quiet readers? Is there accounting for taste? And if so, how does one do it?
Hope you’re having a lovely and contemplative fall. Hollah atcha girl in the comments.
Xoxo,
T
Oh! BTW—How have y’all been liking the poster format for the ‘cover’ of each newsletter? Did you notice? Be honest!
