18th
On the problem of taste
When you’re choosing furniture for your home that’s supposed to express who you are, what you are also saying is you want other people to infer what you want them to infer. What if they see something different? Wouldn’t it be really depressing if you’re trying to be bohemian and instead they see you as Rush Limbaugh?
—Dr. Sheena Iyengar, Columbia University business professor & author of the famous study demonstrating the paralyzing effect of too many choices
Dr. Iyengar, who is blind, has a standing committee of friends, family and colleagues who provide recommendations on her wardrobe and interior decor. Her goal is both consensus and criticism, since she does not believe in making decisions based solely on her own taste. When making decisions about things that you hope will reflect your own style, “you cannot get to the heart of how things are going to be perceived unless you ask these [external] judges,” Dr. Iyengar believes. Of course, she remains free to ignore her committee’s advice. She says, “Everyone is convinced their opinion is the truth, and that’s what I struggle against. But doesn’t everyone?”
