Your Nose Knows: Historian Urges Smell Education

A leading historian of smells is calling for a greater emphasis on olfactory education, particularly for children. Dr. Will Tullett believes that teaching people to engage their noses can enhance their wellbeing and deepen their understanding of the world. He notes that environmental factors like pollution can impair our sense of smell, and the widespread use of synthetic scents in everyday products may be reducing our ability to distinguish natural aromas.

Dr. Tullett suggests that smelling a wider variety of items, much like sommeliers do, can expand our sensory vocabulary and reference points. This engagement with scents can also lead to greater self-awareness, helping us understand why certain odors evoke specific feelings. Furthermore, a well-developed sense of smell is linked to improved mental health, with smell loss often associated with depression and anxiety.

While people generally recognize the importance of smell through vivid memory associations, they often lack the tools to articulate these experiences. Dr. Tullett also debunks the myth that the past was inherently smellier, stating it merely smelled different and that smell is often used to mark social differences. He encourages greater self-awareness and empathy regarding odor preferences, suggesting that thoughtful sniffing can foster better understanding between individuals and in society.