Graham: Aesthetic taste is actually objective and improves with practice
David Senra · Paul Graham's Essays Part III · Dec 15, 2023 · at 38:04
David Senra quotes and discusses Paul Graham's essay 'Taste for Makers,' analyzing whether design and aesthetic taste can be objectively judged.
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“Saying that taste is just personal preference is a good way to prevent disputes. The trouble is it's not true. You feel this when you start to design things, whatever job people do, they naturally want to do it better. Football players like to win games. CEOs like to increase earnings. It's a matter of pride and a real pleasure to get better at your job, which is why I think people read essays like this, read biographies of people that have achieved great things, whatever, whatever job people have, they naturally want to do better. As in any job, as you continue to design things, you'll get better at it. Your tastes will change, and like anyone who gets better at their job, you'll know you're getting better. If so, your old tastes were not merely different, But worse, poof, goes the axiom that taste can't be wrong.”
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