Humans were normally blank slates.
Any infant born would normally have no concept of preferences of any kind. These were usually acquired as the person developed.
Everything from what they found beautiful to what they feared. Such things came from one's experiences. Bad ones even more so. If a child almost drowned at some point, he would begin to hate anything that reminded him of that event.
The same thing happens when a person experiences fires, earthquakes, or just plain violence. If you asked me what I thought of Robert Acwellan when I was human, I wouldn't say anything.
If I saw his picture, I might have prejudices based on his appearance. If I heard him speak, I would probably have an understanding of his temperament. If I knew his past, I would be able to relate his experiences to my own.
However, no matter what you learned, there was no better way to understand someone than to interact with them.
