The sense of smell is a sensitive instrument, which has an impact on our feelings and emotions. This study of olfactory behaviour seeks to bring together knowledge in order to compare individual perception and collective thought via various phenomena: physiological, anthropological, symbolic and emotional. In order to understand our contemporary olfactory perceptions, the first part is dedicated to smell, from its function to the evolution of its representations, from its rejection to its peak. The second part focuses on subjective characters, to determine the extent to which personal biography can influence our olfactory behaviour.
