# Good and Bad Smells

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-smells/381060>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 19, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-smells/381060 "2006-11-19T20:08:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Phrontist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phrontist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phrontist)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-and-bad-smells/381060/1 "2006-11-19T20:08:27Z")

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What determines whether a person finds a smell pleasant or unpleasant?

I’m sure to some degree it’s learned, but are there smells which all people across all cultures find repulsive? I imagine the smell of rotting human would be pretty repulsive across the board.

Is there something common between the airborne chemicals that our brains interpret as good or bad?