Verbal facility with smells and flavors doesn’t come…
““Verbal facility with smells and flavors doesn’t come naturally. As babies, we learn to talk by naming what we see. “Baby points to a lamp, mother says, ‘Yes, a lamp,’” says Johan Lundström, a biological psychologist with the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. “Baby smells an odor, mother says nothing.” All our lives, we communicate through visuals. No one, with a possible exception made for Sue Langstaff, would say, “Go left at the smell of simmering hotdogs.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Human communication relies heavily on visual cues; olfactory language is underdeveloped because infants learn words from sight, not smell.
In simple terms: We talk about what we see, not what we smell.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of scent‑based instructions.
Themes
communication
perception
development
language
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
educational
scientific
When to use this quote
- parenting
- education
- marketing
- design
Key Concepts
visual dominance
olfactory neglect
Questions to Reflect On
- How could scent be better integrated into communication?
- What are the risks of over‑relying on visual cues?
A Different Perspective
Relying on smell alone can be ambiguous and culturally variable.