RE: When a client has bad taste

How do you feel about these different takes? 
It was interesting to see the different ways designers handle a sticky situation such as bad taste. There were some tactics that I really enjoyed, such as "we...try to shift the focus and the conversation away from personal taste and subjective preferences ("I like circles; I hate blue") and toward more strategic considerations: Does the design work?" and "I would simply try to give them my best recommendation, based on explicit connections to the content of a project," while others ("...pretend that I am a lawyer and you asked me to do something patently illegal that would cause my disbarment and professional shame forever. That is what you are asking me to do.") were a bit abrasive(?) and I felt that the client would not react positively. I don't know, that's just my two cents - we'll see how it works in the real world.

What do you think you can take from these designers? 
As stated above, there were a number of suggestions that I enjoyed and plan to use if I am ever in that situation. Communication is key, therefore making sure that your client understands that you are not only listening, but also internalizing their ideas helps to ease the situation in the event that you must tell them that the direction they choose to go may not be in their best interest.

Do you think that these apply differently during different phases of your career?
I definitely feel that these apply differently based on the phase of your career. As a beginner, you will want to approach the situation differently than you would as a seasoned vet, as the client may try to use your experience against you when they feel they aren't "getting their way." Once again, it's all about communication and exactly how you do so.