You’ve heard it a million times. Someone walks into a room, picks up a seemingly random object, and suddenly the whole vibe changes. People whisper, "Man, they just have great taste." But what does that even mean? Is it something you’re born with, like a weirdly specific genetic code for mid-century modern furniture, or is it a muscle you can actually train?
Honestly, taste is often treated like some mystical aura. It’s not. In a world where every single one of us is drowning in an infinite sea of "content" and cheap Amazon knockoffs, having great taste is basically your internal filter. It's the ability to distinguish the meaningful from the filler.
The Science Behind Why You Have Great Taste
We tend to think of taste as purely subjective. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," right? Well, sort of. Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist who basically wrote the bible on this stuff—Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste—argued that our preferences are deeply tied to our social capital. But if we look past the academic jargon, modern psychology suggests that "great taste" is actually a high-level cognitive function.
It’s pattern recognition.
When you have great taste, your brain is effectively processing thousands of data points—texture, history, color theory, and cultural relevance—and comparing them against a mental library of excellence. It’s why an experienced chef can tell a sauce is "missing something" just by the smell, or why a seasoned designer hates a font that looks perfectly fine to everyone else. They aren't being snobs. Their brains are just tuned to a higher frequency of detail.
It’s Not About the Price Tag
Let’s get one thing straight: money doesn't buy taste. We've all seen the McMansions filled with gold-plated everything that somehow feel soul-crushing and empty. That’s because taste is about curation, not accumulation.
Consider the "High-Low" philosophy. This is a staple in the fashion world, popularized by editors at magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. It’s the art of pairing a $10 thrifted t-shirt with a perfectly tailored blazer or a designer watch. Why does it work? Because it shows intentionality. It shows you aren't just buying a "look" off a mannequin; you’re making a choice.
Developing Your Eye for the Good Stuff
So, how do you actually get it? You consume. But not in the way most people do—mindlessly scrolling through TikTok for three hours. To have great taste, you have to consume with a purpose.
Go to museums. Look at the lighting in a Caravaggio painting. Notice how the shadows don't just look black; they have depth and warmth. Listen to Miles Davis and try to figure out why he didn't play certain notes. Read the classics, even the ones that feel a bit a bit sloggy at first, just to understand the architecture of a good story.
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You’re building a reference library.
- Stop looking at trends. Trends are the enemy of taste because they are fleeting. They are designed to make you feel "out" so you’ll buy more "in."
- Follow the "10-Year Rule." Before you buy something—a chair, a coat, a piece of art—ask yourself: "Will I think this is cool in 2036?" If the answer is "probably not," put it back.
- Seek out friction. Great taste often involves things that are a little bit "off." In Japanese aesthetics, this is called Wabi-sabi—finding beauty in imperfection. A room that is too perfect feels like a hotel. A room with great taste feels like a person.
The Role of Curation in the Digital Age
In 2026, we are living in the era of the "Curator Economy." Algorithms are trying to tell us what to like based on what we liked yesterday. If you let the algorithm win, your taste will stagnate. It becomes a feedback loop of the same sounds and the same aesthetics.
To break out, you have to be your own curator. You have to be willing to hate things.
Actually, that’s a huge part of it. People with great taste usually have very strong opinions about what they don't like. They find certain textures repulsive or certain song structures lazy. This isn't negativity; it's a boundary. By narrowing the field of what you accept, you raise the quality of what you keep.
Why Your Taste Impacts Your Career
This isn't just about choosing the right curtains. In business, having great taste is a massive competitive advantage. Look at Steve Jobs. He famously obsessed over the typography of the original Mac. Most people thought he was crazy. Why does a computer need beautiful fonts?
Because he knew that taste creates an emotional connection.
When you have great taste, you produce better work. You notice the small errors in a presentation that make it look amateur. You understand how to communicate a complex idea simply. You know when a project is "done" and when it needs one more pass. It’s an attention to detail that translates to value in any industry, from software engineering to plumbing.
Misconceptions About Being a Tastemaker
A lot of people think having great taste means being a "hater" or being "fancy."
Not true.
The best tastemakers are often the most open-minded. They can find the beauty in a dive bar neon sign just as easily as they can in a Michelin-starred meal. The difference is they know why it’s good. They aren't just following the crowd to the newest "hot spot" on Instagram. They are looking for authenticity.
Actionable Steps to Refine Your Palate
You won't wake up tomorrow with the eye of a master architect, but you can start shifting your perspective immediately.
- Edit your environment. Go through your living space. If there is something you own that you don't love and don't find useful, get rid of it. Physical clutter leads to mental clutter, and it’s hard to develop taste when you’re surrounded by "meh."
- Research the "Why." Next time you see a movie you love, look up the director’s influences. Who did they watch? What books did they read? Trace the lineage of the art you enjoy. This gives you context, and context is the foundation of taste.
- Invest in quality over quantity. Save up for the one thing that is truly excellent rather than buying five things that are just "okay." This applies to your wardrobe, your tools, and even your food.
- Practice active observation. When you’re out, look at the world. Notice the way the light hits a building at 4:00 PM. Notice the kerning on a street sign. The more you notice, the more your brain learns to distinguish the exceptional from the mundane.
Developing taste is a lifelong project. It’s about becoming more sensitive to the world around you. It’s about making choices that reflect who you actually are, rather than what you’re being sold. When people say you have great taste, what they’re really saying is that you are someone who pays attention. And in a world that is increasingly distracted, paying attention is the most radical thing you can do.