For the longest time, I had a habit of taking a friend along whenever I went shopping for clothes. I believed my friends had an ‘eye’ for things, and I didn’t.
I am reminded of these lines from The Great Gatsby
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
Well written. And a much needed reminder for many who are just starting out.
Highly recommend the book in case you haven't read it. Not really saying this for the sake of saying. It's a life altering book. And I've read it a couple of times to mainly understand the human psyche.
Though from a different generation, this piece really resonated with me.
My first brush with a “class and calibre shock” came many years ago when I was in at waiting room at IIM Bangalore ready to be summoned inside for GD, with the battle already half lost in a sea of overpowering confidence, knowledge and sophistication in a room full of suave metro bred candidates.
Your observation about how “good taste” often develops in ways we barely notice rings a bell.. There’s a subtle shift in aesthetic instincts—not just in what we choose to wear or listen to, but in what we notice.
I’ve seen it not just in myself but in my adult children—I sometimes catch myself wondering, “How did they become this person? Was I part of that evolution or merely a bystander?” Did we pass something down, or did the world override us?
One prompt this raised for me: is the cultivation of taste ultimately a search for belonging, or a search for distinction? Or are those two the same thing, just flipped based on whether you’re looking inward or outward?
I am reminded of these lines from The Great Gatsby
"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
Well written. And a much needed reminder for many who are just starting out.
love that line, thank you for sharing :)
Highly recommend the book in case you haven't read it. Not really saying this for the sake of saying. It's a life altering book. And I've read it a couple of times to mainly understand the human psyche.
Though from a different generation, this piece really resonated with me.
My first brush with a “class and calibre shock” came many years ago when I was in at waiting room at IIM Bangalore ready to be summoned inside for GD, with the battle already half lost in a sea of overpowering confidence, knowledge and sophistication in a room full of suave metro bred candidates.
Your observation about how “good taste” often develops in ways we barely notice rings a bell.. There’s a subtle shift in aesthetic instincts—not just in what we choose to wear or listen to, but in what we notice.
I’ve seen it not just in myself but in my adult children—I sometimes catch myself wondering, “How did they become this person? Was I part of that evolution or merely a bystander?” Did we pass something down, or did the world override us?
One prompt this raised for me: is the cultivation of taste ultimately a search for belonging, or a search for distinction? Or are those two the same thing, just flipped based on whether you’re looking inward or outward?
thank you for sharing that with me, I will be thinking about your prompt 😊
Resonated with this on another level! Very well written :)
heyy, thank you 💛