---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even personal tastes are learned, in the…"
description: "\"Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a culture or a subculture in which we grow up, by very much the same kind of process by which we lea..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png"
---

#  Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a…

![“Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a culture or a subculture in which we grow up, by very much the same kind of process by which we learn our common values. Purely personal tastes, indeed, can only survive in a culture which tolerates them, that is, which has a common value that…” quote by Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png)

> “Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a culture or a subculture in which we grow up, by very much the same kind of process by which we learn our common values. Purely personal tastes, indeed, can only survive in a culture which tolerates them, that is, which has a common value that private tastes of certain kinds should be allowed.”

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Personal preferences are shaped by cultural environments and survive only where society accepts diverse values.

**In simple terms:** Tastes are learned from culture.

Key Takeaway

Recognize cultural influence on preferences.

Themes

culture identity diversity socialization values

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

sociological philosophical

When to use this quote

- marketing
- education
- multicultural workplaces
- family upbringing

Key Concepts

systems theory cultural conditioning norms

Questions to Reflect On

- How does your culture shape your likes?
- Can you adopt tastes outside your culture?

A Different Perspective

Cultural change can be slow and resistant.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Personal taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-taste/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Subculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subculture/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/)

## Related quotes

> [My own personal tastes don't really have an effect on whether song is a parody target or not. But having said that, I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/my-own-personal-tastes-don-t-really-have-an-effect-on-whether-song-is/)

[Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/)

> [I think that the best career that someone can have is one that's reflective of their personal tastes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/i-think-that-the-best-career-that-someone-can-have-is-one-that-s/)

[Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/)

> [But you don't get into a business because of personal tastes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-munk/but-you-don-t-get-into-a-business-because-of-personal-tastes/)

[Peter Munk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-munk/)

> [My favorite music isn't necessarily the songs that One Direction come out with. That doesn't mean to say I don't secretly really love some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/my-favorite-music-isn-t-necessarily-the-songs-that-one-direction-come/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [My personal tastes... I actually like quite a bit acoustic and more mellow kinds of things. I quite like American music, like The Fray,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-tomlinson/my-personal-tastes-i-actually-like-quite-a-bit-acoustic-and-more/)

[Louis Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-tomlinson/)

> [Every culture, or subculture, is defined by a set of common values, that is, generally agreed upon preferences. Without a core of common values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/every-culture-or-subculture-is-defined-by-a-set-of-common-values-that/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Many religious confessions share common values. They teach that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/many-religious-confessions-share-common-values-they-teach-that-we/)

[Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/)

> [“We need to adopt a set of common values and be ready to live out those values”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/we-need-to-adopt-a-set-of-common-values-and-be-ready-to-live-out/)

[Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/)

> [As we begin to plan for a new human society, we need to foster common values about clean air, water, and other elements of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/as-we-begin-to-plan-for-a-new-human-society-we-need-to-foster-common/)

[Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/)

> [Let us remember we are all part of one American family. We are united in common values, and that includes belief in equality under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/let-us-remember-we-are-all-part-of-one-american-family-we-are-united/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [We must remember that although we come from different backgrounds and ideologies, we're all part of this great experiment in self-governance. We're all united…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/we-must-remember-that-although-we-come-from-different-backgrounds-and/)

[Cathy McMorris Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers/)

> [I agree with those who argue that it is possible to distil from the religions of the world their common values and relevance. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/i-agree-with-those-who-argue-that-it-is-possible-to-distil-from-the/)

[Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/)

> [We need our national broadcasters to bring people together, to reflect our common values, and to showcase these values to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-morgan/we-need-our-national-broadcasters-to-bring-people-together-to-reflect/)

[Nicky Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-morgan/)

> [We share common values as San Franciscans: we help each other; we welcome newcomers; we innovate and learn; we focus on facts; we work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/we-share-common-values-as-san-franciscans-we-help-each-other-we/)

[London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

## More by Kenneth E. Boulding

> [ \[In science any model depends on a pre-chosen taxonomy\] a set of classifications into which we divide the enormous complexity of the real world...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/in-science-any-model-depends-on-a-pre-chosen-taxonomy-a-set-of/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [If we saw tomorrow's newspaper today, tomorrow would never happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/if-we-saw-tomorrow-s-newspaper-today-tomorrow-would-never-happen/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [It is clear that the building of models is not a purely mechanical process but requires skill of a high order - not merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/it-is-clear-that-the-building-of-models-is-not-a-purely-mechanical/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [In view of the importance of philanthropy in our society, it is surprising that so little attention has been given to it by economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/in-view-of-the-importance-of-philanthropy-in-our-society-it-is/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Humble, honest, ignorance is one of the finest flowers of the human spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/humble-honest-ignorance-is-one-of-the-finest-flowers-of-the-human/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [ \[The question for the behavioral disciplines is simply\] what is better, and how do we get there? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-question-for-the-behavioral-disciplines-is-simply-what-is-better/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [ \[Even the mechanism can be endowed with an image. Thus\] the thermostat has an image of the outside world in the shape of information… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/even-the-mechanism-can-be-endowed-with-an-image-thus-the-thermostat/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Economic problems have no sharp edges. They shade off imperceptibly into politics, sociology, and ethics. Indeed, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/economic-problems-have-no-sharp-edges-they-shade-off-imperceptibly/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [The world moves into the future as a result of decisions, not as a result of plans. Plans are significant only insofar as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-world-moves-into-the-future-as-a-result-of-decisions-not-as-a/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Mathematicians themselves set up standards of generality and elegance in their exposition which are a bar to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/mathematicians-themselves-set-up-standards-of-generality-and-elegance/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [The concept of need is often looked upon rather unfavorably by economists, in contrast with the concept of demand. Both, however, have their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/the-concept-of-need-is-often-looked-upon-rather-unfavorably-by/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Conventions of generality and mathematical elegance may be just as much barriers to the attainment and diffusion of knowledge as may contentment with particularity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/conventions-of-generality-and-mathematical-elegance-may-be-just-as/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Nothing fails like success, because we do not learn anything from it. We only learn from failure, but we do not always learn the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/nothing-fails-like-success-because-we-do-not-learn-anything-from-it/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [At the opposite pole from the gift is tribute - that is, a grant made out of fear and under threat. A threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/at-the-opposite-pole-from-the-gift-is-tribute-that-is-a-grant-made/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

> [Reality, in its quantitative aspect, must be considered as a system of populations... The general study of the equilibria and dynamics of populations seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/reality-in-its-quantitative-aspect-must-be-considered-as-a-system-of/)

[Kenneth E. Boulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

[Explore all 123 Kenneth E. Boulding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/)

## More Certain quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/)

[Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/)

> [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/)

Riffat Hassan

> [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/)

[Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/)

> [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/)

T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

> [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/)

[Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/)

> [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/)

[Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/)

> [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/)

[Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/)

> [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a culture or a subculture in which we grow up, by very much the same kind of process by which we learn our common values. Purely personal tastes, indeed, can only survive in a culture which tolerates them, that is, which has a common value that private tastes of certain kinds should be allowed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kenneth E. Boulding"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the-matrix-of-a-culture-or-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Certain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the-matrix-of-a-culture-or-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/kenneth-e-boulding-3728_certain_even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the_259041.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Even personal tastes are learned, in the matrix of a culture or a subculture in which we grow up, by very…” — Kenneth E. Boulding",
                "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": "Kenneth E. Boulding",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-e-boulding/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Even personal tastes are learned, in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the-matrix-of-a-culture-or-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-e-boulding/even-personal-tastes-are-learned-in-the-matrix-of-a-culture-or-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
