--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't confuse good taste with the absence…" description: "\"Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste.\" — William Bernbach" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png" --- # Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste. ![“Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste.” quote by William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png) > “Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste.” [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) ## 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 is not the lack of flavor; it is a refined, balanced palate that distinguishes quality from blandness. **In simple terms:** Tasteful design balances refinement and flavor. Key Takeaway Cultivate discernment in aesthetics. Themes design taste creativity marketing culture Mood analytical inspired Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - product packaging - graphic design - culinary arts - fashion - interior décor Key Concepts aesthetic judgment consumer perception brand identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you define “good taste”? - Can simplicity be mistaken for lack of taste? A Different Perspective Over‑refinement may alienate broader audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Good taste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-taste/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Let us prove to the world that good taste, good art, and good writing can be good selling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/let-us-prove-to-the-world-that-good-taste-good-art-and-good-writing/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [A good taste in art feels the presence or the absence of merit; a just taste discriminates the degree--the poco piu and the poco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/a-good-taste-in-art-feels-the-presence-or-the-absence-of-merit-a-just/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) > [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/) > [Those Dutchmen had hardly any imagination or fantasy, but their good taste and their scientific knowledge of composition were enormous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/those-dutchmen-had-hardly-any-imagination-or-fantasy-but-their-good/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [My grandmother used to babysit us when I was younger, and would always play old-school music. It gets to me. Grandma had some good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil-green/my-grandmother-used-to-babysit-us-when-i-was-younger-and-would-always/) [Virgil Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil-green/) > [Simplicity, good taste and grooming are the three fundamentals of good dressing and these do not cost money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-dior/simplicity-good-taste-and-grooming-are-the-three-fundamentals-of-good/) [Christian Dior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-dior/) > [Good taste is synonymous with success in all fields of life. It's not a question of money, but of a trained eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-baldrige/good-taste-is-synonymous-with-success-in-all-fields-of-life-it-s-not/) [Letitia Baldrige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-baldrige/) > [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/) > [Good taste comes more from the judgment than from the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/good-taste-comes-more-from-the-judgment-than-from-the-mind/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The male gay community seems to be very into female singers. I think it could be the songs we sing. They're more open with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-minnelli/the-male-gay-community-seems-to-be-very-into-female-singers-i-think/) [Liza Minnelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-minnelli/) > [I'm big on what's in good taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-ocean/i-m-big-on-what-s-in-good-taste/) [Frank Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-ocean/) > [Good taste cannot supply the place of genius in literature, for the best proof of taste, when there is no genius, would be, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/good-taste-cannot-supply-the-place-of-genius-in-literature-for-the/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) > [Fashion is here to help make people look very important. If they have good taste and choose what suits them, I give them options…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/fashion-is-here-to-help-make-people-look-very-important-if-they-have/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [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/) > [Good taste ruins certain true spiritual values: such as taste itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-chanel/good-taste-ruins-certain-true-spiritual-values-such-as-taste-itself/) [Coco Chanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-chanel/) ## More by William Bernbach > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Forget words like 'hard sell' and 'soft sell.' That will only confuse you. Just be sure your advertising is saying something with substance, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/forget-words-like-hard-sell-and-soft-sell-that-will-only-confuse-you/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise that society. We can brutalise it. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/all-of-us-who-professionally-use-the-mass-media-are-the-shapers-of/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Just because your ad looks good is no insurance that it will get looked at. 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Research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-good-or-bad-ad-in-isolation-what-is-good/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Our job is to bring the dead facts to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/our-job-is-to-bring-the-dead-facts-to-life/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Advertising is the art of persuasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/advertising-is-the-art-of-persuasion/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [We are so busy measuring public opinion that we forget we can mold it. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Bernbach" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absence-of-taste/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absence-of-taste/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0c/william-bernbach-11456_absence_don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absenc_2410246.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't confuse good taste with the absence of taste.” — William Bernbach", "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": "William Bernbach", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Don't confuse good taste with the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absence-of-taste/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/don-t-confuse-good-taste-with-the-absence-of-taste/#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 } } ] } ```