Hello, One of my aims in writing Life in Five Senses and creating the “What’s Your Neglected Sense?” quiz was to identify, and learn to appreciate, my own neglected sense. The quiz revealed that my most neglected sense is tasting. This result didn’t surprise me: I'm no “foodie”; I rarely turn to my sense of taste for comfort or pleasure; I eat the same foods every day for years (ask me about my breakfast chaffle). Once I realized that I tend to neglect my sense of taste, I started to look for opportunities to tap into its power more often. This summer, to explore my sense of taste, I’ve been trying to: - Be more adventurous with condiments.
- Learn more about the foods I’m eating—the more we know, the more we notice.
- Change up my order when I eat out.
I have another self-knowledge quiz, for my “Four Tendencies” personality framework: “Are You an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel?” There’s an interesting difference between the two quizzes. For the most part, our Tendencies are hardwired. If you’re an Obliger, you’re an Obliger at age 5 and at age 55. But our neglected sense is changeable. One person told me that his neglected sense was “hearing,” and while he thought that answer was accurate for him now, as a teenager and young adult, he’d loved listening to music and going to concerts. Another person told me that she’d neglected her sense of taste until she married someone who owned a restaurant. Fascinating. |