--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In our democratic culture people often…" description: "\"In our democratic culture people often think it is threatening to judge another person's taste. Some are even offended by the suggestion that there is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/roger-scruton-971_bad-taste_in-our-democratic-culture-people-often-t_2579981.jpg" --- # In our democratic culture people often think it is… ![“In our democratic culture people often think it is threatening to judge another person's taste. Some are even offended by the suggestion that there is a difference between good and bad taste, or that it matters what you look at or read or listen to.” quote by Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/roger-scruton-971_bad-taste_in-our-democratic-culture-people-often-t_2579981.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/roger-scruton-971_bad-taste_in-our-democratic-culture-people-often-t_2579981.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16c/roger-scruton-971_bad-taste_in-our-democratic-culture-people-often-t_2579981.jpg) > “In our democratic culture people often think it is threatening to judge another person's taste. Some are even offended by the suggestion that there is a difference between good and bad taste, or that it matters what you look at or read or listen to.” [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fear judging taste, fearing offense, but distinguishing good from bad is essential for cultural standards. **In simple terms:** People avoid judging taste, but it's needed. Key Takeaway Embrace thoughtful taste judgments. Themes culture ethics aesthetics freedom of expression critical thinking Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - art criticism - media consumption - education - public discourse Key Concepts taste theory moral philosophy cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - Why is judging taste important? - How to critique without alienating? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on offense can stifle honest critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Good and bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-bad/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Suggestions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suggestions/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“The essence of good taste is never to be offended by bad taste.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hewitt/the-essence-of-good-taste-is-never-to-be-offended-by-bad-taste/) [Hugh Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hewitt/) > [Some people are weak in their faith and testimonies but are not even aware of how precarious their situation is. Many of them likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/some-people-are-weak-in-their-faith-and-testimonies-but-are-not-even/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [“I believe that a person's taste in music tells you a lot about them. In some cases, it tells you everything you need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-sales/i-believe-that-a-person-s-taste-in-music-tells-you-a-lot-about-them/) [Leila Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-sales/) > [“This is especially doable with dog food, as dogs rely more on smell than taste in making choices about what to eat and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/this-is-especially-doable-with-dog-food-as-dogs-rely-more-on-smell/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“as dogs rely more on smell than taste in making choices about what to eat and how vigorously. (Pat Moeller estimates that for dogs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/as-dogs-rely-more-on-smell-than-taste-in-making-choices-about-what-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [I cater to a viewer because that viewer's taste matters more than anyone else's, and I will keep him first in mind and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekta-kapoor/i-cater-to-a-viewer-because-that-viewer-s-taste-matters-more-than/) [Ekta Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ekta-kapoor/) > [A person's taste is as much his own peculiar concern as his opinion or his purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/a-person-s-taste-is-as-much-his-own-peculiar-concern-as-his-opinion/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [“dogs rely more on smell than taste in making choices about what to eat and how vigorously. (Pat Moeller estimates that for dogs, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/dogs-rely-more-on-smell-than-taste-in-making-choices-about-what-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [A person with taste is merely one who can recognize the greatest beauty in the simplest things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-taylor-bradford/a-person-with-taste-is-merely-one-who-can-recognize-the-greatest/) [Barbara Taylor Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-taylor-bradford/) > [I periodically realize every few years that the only person whose taste I really trust is me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-periodically-realize-every-few-years-that-the-only-person-whose/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I think one of the most boring things is a person's taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-williams/i-think-one-of-the-most-boring-things-is-a-person-s-taste/) [Ian Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-williams/) > [“If it’s exceedingly nasty,” Reed told me, “they will actually drag their tongue on the bedding to try to get it off.” Clearly taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-it-s-exceedingly-nasty-reed-told-me-they-will-actually-drag-their/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [All of those on the left, as I am, have always vastly preferred the democratic society over the hierarchical society and still do, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/all-of-those-on-the-left-as-i-am-have-always-vastly-preferred-the/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barnes/television-is-the-first-truly-democratic-culture-the-first-culture/) [Clive Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barnes/) > [One of the problems we're facing is, in my view, that there are no globalized, youth-led, grassroots social movements advocating for democratic culture across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maajid-nawaz/one-of-the-problems-we-re-facing-is-in-my-view-that-there-are-no/) [Maajid Nawaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maajid-nawaz/) ## More by Roger Scruton > [Beauty is vanishing from our world because we live as though it does not matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/beauty-is-vanishing-from-our-world-because-we-live-as-though-it-does/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“So conceived, the English police force served to emphasize a fundamental truth about the English law, which is that it exists not to control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/so-conceived-the-english-police-force-served-to-emphasize-a/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [My 2018 ended with a hate storm, in response to my appointment as chair of the government's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/my-2018-ended-with-a-hate-storm-in-response-to-my-appointment-as/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [I've never been an optimist, but that's fine because pessimists have the possibility of being agreeably surprised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-ve-never-been-an-optimist-but-that-s-fine-because-pessimists-have/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Unlike every other product that is now manufactured for the table, wine exists in as many varieties as there are people who produce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/unlike-every-other-product-that-is-now-manufactured-for-the-table/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The abstract, unreal freedom of the liberal intellect was really nothing more than childish disobedience, amplified into anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-abstract-unreal-freedom-of-the-liberal-intellect-was-really/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I think we can all see the force of the idea that there are certain things that cannot be done to human beings –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-think-we-can-all-see-the-force-of-the-idea-that-there-are-certain/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [When art becomes merely shock value, our sense of humanity is slowly degraded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/when-art-becomes-merely-shock-value-our-sense-of-humanity-is-slowly/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Western democracies did not create the virtue of citizenship; on the contrary, they grew from it. Nothing is more evident in The Federalist than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/western-democracies-did-not-create-the-virtue-of-citizenship-on-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“If one looks back to the French Revolution, one sees just how easy it is for the doctrine of “human rights” to become an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/if-one-looks-back-to-the-french-revolution-one-sees-just-how-easy-it/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“I say it was immediately apparent, but it was not apparent to the intellectual class, which has remained largely wedded to the post-war consensus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/i-say-it-was-immediately-apparent-but-it-was-not-apparent-to-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Conservatives hold on to things not only because they are attached to them, but also because they do not see the sense in radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/conservatives-hold-on-to-things-not-only-because-they-are-attached-to/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“Academic philosophers in the English speaking world still regard philosophy as Locke defined it in the 17th century, as “the handmaiden of the sciences”:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/academic-philosophers-in-the-english-speaking-world-still-regard/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Delia Smith is, actually, my bete noire. I consider her a most pernicious influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/delia-smith-is-actually-my-bete-noire-i-consider-her-a-most/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Modern art was born from a desire to destroy kitsch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/modern-art-was-born-from-a-desire-to-destroy-kitsch/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) [Explore all 317 Roger Scruton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) ## 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/) > [Good taste is better than bad taste, but bad taste is better than no taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-bennett/good-taste-is-better-than-bad-taste-but-bad-taste-is-better-than-no/) [Arnold Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-bennett/) > [“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 > [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 > [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/) Browse all 230 Bad taste quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In our democratic culture people often think it is threatening to judge another person's taste. 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