Climate Broods Taste
The best products, the most thoughtful design, and the most livable cities don’t come from chaotic places. They come from places like Japan, parts of Scandinavia, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea and California. Places that have built a legacy of timeless design, craft, and an elevated sense of how life can be lived.
Cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Zurich, Seoul, Munich and Stockholm consistently rank high on quality of life, urban planning, and design standards. Their infrastructure works. Their tools are simple and clear. Even the way people move through the day feels more intentional.
People usually explain this by pointing to culture. That they value education, or aesthetics, or have good governance. That’s true, but it doesn’t explain where that culture came from.
A big part of it is the environment. These regions have a very specific kind of climate: cold, but with enough sunlight. That changes how people think and live.
Cool air helps you stay alert and focused. Sunlight keeps your mood and energy stable across the year. You’re not constantly battling heat, humidity, or fatigue. You’re more comfortable by default, so you can think longer and more clearly.
The spaces people spend time in — homes, libraries, offices — are designed to support that kind of attention. They are quiet, warm, and built for focus.
Over time, that shapes how people behave. They are calmer. Less reactive. More secure.
That shows up in their work. When you’re grounded, you can take risks without panic. You don’t need to be loud to challenge the norm. You make thoughtful decisions because you’re not being pulled in a hundred directions.
This kind of climate helps people develop taste. Not because they’re trying to be refined, but because they have the space to figure out what matters. They have the mental room to go deep.
You don’t see the same outcomes in hot, humid places. Not because people aren’t smart or creative, but because the environment is working against them. When you’re uncomfortable all the time, it’s harder to sit still, harder to focus, harder to care about small things. You want to get out of the situation, not refine it.
Over time, that changes what gets built. It affects the quality of products, the rhythm of cities, and the choices people make.
This isn’t about nice weather. It’s about the kind of weather that helps people think clearly, work with intention, and care about detail.
Taste is the product of the environment. When your environment is conducive for refined thinking, taste is the natural evolution of it.