--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good taste is better than bad taste, but…" description: "\"Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.\" — Arnold Bennett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png" --- # Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is… ![“Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.” quote by Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png) > “Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.” [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good taste offers value, but having some taste, even if flawed, is preferable to being indifferent or uninformed. **In simple terms:** Taste matters, even imperfectly. Key Takeaway Prefer any discernment over none. Themes aesthetic judgment subjectivity cultural values personal development critical thinking Mood thoughtful wry reflective Type aphorism observation advice When to use this quote - making design choices - selecting food or art - forming opinions - evaluating trends - curating collections Key Concepts taste preference evaluation knowledge Practical Applications - guiding creative direction - informing consumer marketing Questions to Reflect On - How does a lack of taste affect decision making? - When can bad taste become a catalyst for innovation? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-taste/) [Better Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-taste-376107/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Good taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-taste/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste/) [Taste Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-bad-376108/) [Taste Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taste-better-257769/) ## Related quotes > [Good taste is always bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poul-henningsen/good-taste-is-always-bad/) [Poul Henningsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poul-henningsen/) > [“It was furnished neither in good taste nor in bad taste, but simply with no attempt at taste at all...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mitford/it-was-furnished-neither-in-good-taste-nor-in-bad-taste-but-simply/) [Nancy Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mitford/) > [To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about. If someone vomits while watching one of my films, it's like getting a standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/to-me-bad-taste-is-what-entertainment-is-all-about-if-someone-vomits-2/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [“To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about. If someone vomits watching one of my films, it's like getting a standing ovation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/to-me-bad-taste-is-what-entertainment-is-all-about-if-someone-vomits/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [The kind of people who always go on about whether a thing is in good taste invariably have very bad taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/the-kind-of-people-who-always-go-on-about-whether-a-thing-is-in-good/) [Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/) > [I believe that bad taste is vulgar. It's like cursing. I think the world can be saved through design, because what is the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/i-believe-that-bad-taste-is-vulgar-it-s-like-cursing-i-think-the/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [One of the keys to our present definition of good taste is that it is better to be kind than to be 'correct.' There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-fenwick/one-of-the-keys-to-our-present-definition-of-good-taste-is-that-it-is/) [Millicent Fenwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-fenwick/) > [Good taste" is a virtue of the keepers of museums. If you scorn bad taste, you will have neither painting nor dancing, neither palaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/good-taste-is-a-virtue-of-the-keepers-of-museums-if-you-scorn-bad/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [I suppose that I was a kind of consultant for taste. Is it good taste? Or bad taste? I had an attention to detail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hench/i-suppose-that-i-was-a-kind-of-consultant-for-taste-is-it-good-taste/) [John Hench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hench/) > [In my estimation, the only thing that is more to be guarded against than bad taste is good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-lynes/in-my-estimation-the-only-thing-that-is-more-to-be-guarded-against/) [Russell Lynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-lynes/) > [In San Francisco, vulgarity, "bad taste," ostentation are regarded as a kind of alien blight, an invasion or encroachment from outside. In Los Angeles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/in-san-francisco-vulgarity-bad-taste-ostentation-are-regarded-as-a/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) > [One is born with good taste. It's very hard to acquire. You can acquire the patina of taste. But what Elsie Mendl had was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/one-is-born-with-good-taste-it-s-very-hard-to-acquire-you-can-acquire/) [Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/) > [To understand bad taste one must have very good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/to-understand-bad-taste-one-must-have-very-good-taste/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [You can't say you're going to ban something in the name of good taste, because then you have directed someone to play the role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-can-t-say-you-re-going-to-ban-something-in-the-name-of-good-taste/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“When you have dinner with the Devil, you learn that either you have good taste or that you have bad taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/when-you-have-dinner-with-the-devil-you-learn-that-either-you-have/) [Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/) ## More by Arnold Bennett > [The chances are that you have already come to believe that happiness is unattainable. But men have attained it. And they have attained it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-chances-are-that-you-have-already-come-to-believe-that-happiness/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [To write is to make oneself the echo of what cannot cease speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/to-write-is-to-make-oneself-the-echo-of-what-cannot-cease-speaking/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The parents exist to teach the child, but also they must learn what the child has to teach them; and the child has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-parents-exist-to-teach-the-child-but-also-they-must-learn-what/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labour is immense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-gain-in-self-confidence-of-having-accomplished-a-tiresome-labour/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [A man of sixty has spent twenty years in bed and over three years in eating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-man-of-sixty-has-spent-twenty-years-in-bed-and-over-three-years-in/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“What then? Are we only to buy the books that we read? The question has merely to be thus bluntly put, and it answers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/what-then-are-we-only-to-buy-the-books-that-we-read-the-question-has/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [The most important preliminary to the task of arranging one's life so that one may live fully and comfortably within one's daily budget of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-most-important-preliminary-to-the-task-of-arranging-one-s-life-so/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [You are not in charge of the universe; you are in charge of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/you-are-not-in-charge-of-the-universe-you-are-in-charge-of-yourself/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“When one has thoroughly got imbued into one's head the leading truth that nothing happens without a cause, one grows not only large-minded, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/when-one-has-thoroughly-got-imbued-into-one-s-head-the-leading-truth/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/any-change-even-a-change-for-the-better-is-always-accompanied-by/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“The public is a great actuality, like war. If you are a creative and creating artist, you cannot ignore it, though it can ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/the-public-is-a-great-actuality-like-war-if-you-are-a-creative-and/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“Good clothes, when put to the test, survive a change in fortune, as a Roman arch survives the luxury of departed empire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-clothes-when-put-to-the-test-survive-a-change-in-fortune-as-a/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [Ninety percent of the friction of daily life is caused by tone of voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/ninety-percent-of-the-friction-of-daily-life-is-caused-by-tone-of/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [During a long and varied career as a bachelor, I have noticed that marriage is the death of politeness between a man and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/during-a-long-and-varied-career-as-a-bachelor-i-have-noticed-that/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [A first-rate organizer is never in a hurry. He is never late. He always keeps up his sleeve a margin for the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/a-first-rate-organizer-is-never-in-a-hurry-he-is-never-late-he-always/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) [Explore all 133 Arnold Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) ## More Bad taste quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. I think the writers showed bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/when-i-passed-the-chancellor-he-arose-waved-his-hand-at-me-and-i/) [Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/) > [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/) [Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/) > [“Others praise ceremonial Magic, and are supposed to suffer much Ecstasy! Our asylums are crowded, the stage is over-run! Is it by symbolizing we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-osman-spare-2/others-praise-ceremonial-magic-and-are-supposed-to-suffer-much/) [Austin Osman, Spare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-osman-spare-2/) > [Salvador Dali has been called kitsch, but, although some of this work may be grotesque, its brazenly self-conscious bad taste saves it from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-dutton/salvador-dali-has-been-called-kitsch-but-although-some-of-this-work/) [Denis Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-dutton/) > [“Bryan gaped, as though that was more than he'd been expecting. "Oh. Okay. Well, um, there's a silent film festival downtown next week. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/bryan-gaped-as-though-that-was-more-than-he-d-been-expecting-oh-okay/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [It's not about doing over the living room of someone who has bad taste in color. This is about restoring historic buildings and instilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-gorder/it-s-not-about-doing-over-the-living-room-of-someone-who-has-bad/) [Genevieve Gorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-gorder/) > [The kind of people who always go on about whether a thing is in good taste invariably have very bad taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/the-kind-of-people-who-always-go-on-about-whether-a-thing-is-in-good/) [Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/) > [“Life is too short for bad taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-russell/life-is-too-short-for-bad-taste/) [Glenn Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-russell/) > [If you give a little credit to the concept of the artist, I think you ought to indulge excesses a bit, because that reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/if-you-give-a-little-credit-to-the-concept-of-the-artist-i-think-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [The line between humor and bad taste is your audience, in which some people will find everything offensive, and some people will find nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mankoff/the-line-between-humor-and-bad-taste-is-your-audience-in-which-some/) [Robert Mankoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mankoff/) > [This is going to leave a bad taste in a lot of people's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-day-hicks/this-is-going-to-leave-a-bad-taste-in-a-lot-of-people-s-eyes/) [Louise Day Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-day-hicks/) > [To use bad taste, you have to know the rules of good taste. I've always thanked my mother for that. She taught how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/to-use-bad-taste-you-have-to-know-the-rules-of-good-taste-i-ve-always/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > ['Bad Taste' was - it was, in many respects, my sort of, my, I guess, my single-minded desire to want to break into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/bad-taste-was-it-was-in-many-respects-my-sort-of-my-i-guess-my-single/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [“You know what, you need to stay out of my bedroom. You have your own.” He smiled. “I know I do. I see it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/you-know-what-you-need-to-stay-out-of-my-bedroom-you-have-your-own-he/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) [Browse all 230 Bad taste quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-taste/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arnold Bennett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad taste" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb5/arnold-bennett-3325_bad-taste_good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but_13987.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.” — Arnold Bennett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arnold Bennett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Good taste is better than bad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```