Adding to the momentum - A post on loves

Matt, I commend your valience and I will put my hand to the plow, as well, attempting to make Mere Orthodoxy an interesting place to read. I have several streams of thought I would like to use to start conversations with you and those who read this site. I would like to hear your thoughts and nurture my own. As I believe conversation is infinitely more interesting than "one man ranting," I will be stubbornly inviting response. First topic: Preference and Identity Given the following three premises... 1. All humans love. There are some objects of love in common to all, some in common to a majority, some in common to a few, and some that are unique to individuals. I am wondering how much one's identity is composed of their "loves". By loves here I mean something like "preference." The objects to which you find yourself consistently drawn are those you prefer. I like a certain style of rock music, characterized a certain distortion modifying the sound of a guitar, drums, bass, and often keyboard or synthesizer. Why do I like this style as opposed to "soft rock," which has smoother sounding guitars and, electronic drums? I do not know. The rock I like I just like. I am drawn to it. 2. Our loves seem to define us. Some of our preferences, or our taste, are extremely unique, and seem specific only to us. I met a man who collects African art. Authentic, tribal, African masterpieces. He said he has three criteria: they have to authentic (he hires lackies to hike into jungle villages to make purchases), they have to be old (most of his pieces are over 100 years old, some are up to 400), and they have to be the best (many of his pieces are the masterpieces of that tribe or village, and nothing he has is less than upper echelon). He is the only collector of his kind in the world. He owns 20 million dollars of art, all throughout his home, as well as piled up in his garage like you and I might have Christmas decorations or family memorabilia. No one else in the world does art like he does. He loves a certain kind of African art, and it defines him. 3. We can change our preferences. We can "acquire a taste." I didn't used to like strawberries (crazy, I know), but I decided to acquire the taste for them. I ate them over and over (all the while dramatically complaining about the experience) until they became pleasant to me. Now I love strawberries. ...I have four Questions: 1. Do our loves define us? 2. How is it possible that a man can change his preference? 3. Where did the preference or love come from in the first place that it is so easily malleable? 4. If we change our loves (preferences, taste), does that change our identity?