Practices in Smelling: Comparing

Telling things apart.

This month we continue with the series, “Practices in Smelling,” which aims to inspire and animate you to engage with your sense of smell more.

I was planning to start with an inspirational quote to get us going, but it turns out that all I could find was negative statements about comparisons, in the vain of don’t focus on comparing yourself to others because you’re unique and beautiful as you are, etc etc. which is great, but not the point I’m trying to make. 🙃

You see, in the world of olfaction, comparing smells is actually a good thing. 

Not only does it ensure safety, it also helps you appreciate food more, it gives you spatial awareness, allows you to assess your environment more accurately, and helps you evaluate social situations. In a nutshell, being able to tell odors apart is a sign that you have a healthy sense of smell. 

I’m sure you’re aware that our brain is wired to constantly compare. When your brain gets new sensory information, it compares it to what it already knows. This helps it figure out what's important, find patterns, and decide what to pay attention to.

Maybe you’ve experienced this: you pour a glass of milk (not knowing that it’s gone off), you take in the odor molecules as you put the glass to your mouth, which signals to the brain wait, this isn’t what milk is supposed to smell like?! You might not register that cue and continue by taking a sip, and immediately notice the flavor is sour - that’s your sense of smell warning you not to drink the milk. 

Your sense of smell is trying to keep you safe. It knows what milk is supposed to smell and taste like, and this isn’t it. When you lose your ability to smell, this safety mechanism is missing, and makes common activities that we take for granted very anxiety-inducing. 

Taking the time to practice comparing and contrasting smells ensures you maintain good smell health. Here’s an easy exercise you can try out.