1 Family Photo:
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"This is the wrong Trader Joe's."
"How do you know?"
"The one we like has mini-shopping carts," Calvin explains. "This one only has regular shopping carts and baskets."
Oh.
"This yogurt is my favorite."
"How do you know?"
"Because this one is my favorite." Lawrence swipes four apricot-mango yogurts into his basket.
Oh.
I don't think we ever bought that flavor before.
--
Why do you like what you like?
I know why Calvin and Lawrence like yogurt—sugar.
I know why they like trains: when Calvin was 18-months, a friend gifted us her son's neglected wooden train set. One day he races vovó in a loop around the coffee table. A small interest, encouraged, turns into a larger interest. Now Calvin likes trains.
So we do more train things. We plan train museum visits in different states. We ride steam trains in different countries. Now Calvin likes trains more.
Because Calvin likes trains, Lawrence likes trains. We're caught in a feedback loop.
--
As creation becomes easier—as the generative AI becomes more abundant, as the endless content streams become more and more endless—taste will become more important. Taste demands we search ourselves, examine what we like and why we like it. Consider how it aligns with our aspirations.
When some optimization algorithm tries spoon-feeding you strawberry and blueberry yogurts, grab an apricot-mango and put it in your basket.
How do you get a country girl's attention?
A tractor.
*image by Dad[AI]Base
Notes on “Taste” by Brie Wolfson
Ezra Klein Klein Interviews Adam Moss (Podcast)
Cultivating a state of mind where new ideas are born by Henrik Karlsson
Some night-time songs I like: BedtimeMedley | IamJoshKnox
Grab some time on my calendar and share a story this week:
Book some time even if you don't know what you want to talk about:
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Until next week,
iamJoshKnox
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