Experience, Part II – The Journey to Wisdom

Sometimes Bitter, But Mostly Sweet

By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.

–Confucius

Before I begin this post on the relationship between wisdom and bitter experiences, please allow me to share a few words my parents taught me a long time ago. They always insisted that I pay attention to the mistakes of my elder siblings (I’m the youngest of seven) as it would help me avoid the same in my own life. The words they used went something like this: ‘Learn from other people’s mistakes since you will not long enough to commit them all yourself.’

EDITOR’S NOTE: SEE PART I BELOW

Experience: The Essential Fuel For Growth

True to their words, I found myself avoiding many hurdles in life, so many more painful ‘consequences,’ as well as receiving few pats on the back. What I learned as a child continues to help me at almost every juncture in life so much so that those close to me feel confident of finding the solutions to their own problems by dipping into my resource-bank of experiences.

Little wonder we have Confucius, the great Chinese scholar giving us the exact same message in a slightly different tone though. I am positive most of my readers have a fair amount of knowledge how bitter an experience could get at times, especially when you are not prepared for the challenge.

The power of a positive attitude has always been promoted by a vast majority of Public Speakers and Coaches across the world. It has been recognized as one of the most useful tools in handling tough situations. The question is how exactly does our attitude lighten the load? We find the answer in the following quote from Grant Fairly, an Executive Coach in Toronto, Canada: “A positive attitude may not solve every problem, but it makes solving any problem a more pleasant experience.”

In simple words, the above message highlights the comparative ease of handling problems. The more pleasant your experiences down the road, the easier will be your journey to wisdom and the ensuing success. I used the word ‘wisdom’ because your hard-earned insights give you the strength to help others overcome their own challenges, based on your experience. The resulting accolades bring you to the league of the wise.

A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others.

-William Faulkner.

A keen sense of observation helps us relate to events transpiring around us, or for that matter, anywhere in the world, through various media channels.

He won the Pulitzer Prize, not once, but twice. I am not surprised to see the renowned authority equate experience with both observation and imagination. A keen sense of observation helps us relate to events transpiring around us, or for that matter, anywhere in the world, through various media channels. At times, we get so engrossed in the same that we lose track of our own physical location. In turn, whatever transpires in a remote location becomes a part of our personal experience. On the other hand, imagination is what propels us to take most of our decisions in daily life anyway. We look at a situation and put our creativity to work on the possible outcome related to either action or inaction. Once we succeed, the experience makes us wiser for the next time, right?

A writer’s problem does not change. It is always how to write truly and having found out what is true to project it in such a way that it becomes part of the experience of the person who reads it.

Ernest Hemingway leaves no stone unturned in equating the power of truthfully written words to a real-life experience for the readers. It is not only my opinion but also a strong belief that ‘experience’ can manifest itself in multiple ways. The discerning readers become wiser through other people’s experiences more often than from their own.

Everything we enjoy in society is a direct result of the accumulated learning derived from millions of mistakes; No mistakes, no progress. Yet we still look at making a mistake as embarrassing, wrong, an act bordering on sin. If you are making mistakes, it means you are doing new things, taking risks, stretching yourself. You are growing, learning. And isn’t the journey, the experience, not the destination, what life is all about?

-Robert White

I am positive “accumulated learning” in the above quote refers to all the information currently available to us through a multitude of resources including, but not limited to, books, magazines, e-zines, news, views, reviews, Social Media, and so on and so forth. Majority of such information is born out of someone’s mistake somewhere. If only we are keen enough to pay attention to the details, we can find a treasure-trove of valuable information and make ourselves wiser.

I remember yet another piece of advice from a learned man some years ago: ‘Only those people make no mistakes that do nothing, or they lie six feet underground.’ So long we are alive and actively pursuing any chore, mistakes are bound to happen. So long as we are willing to learn from them, it will become a pleasant experience capable of guiding us in the future. If not, fate will keep repeating itself. Who knows our lack of attention to detail in gaining experiences may even speed up our downfall beyond recovery?

Considering all the above facts, quotes, ideas, and suggestions, we can quickly identify the two facets of experiences, both bitter and sweet. The decision is entirely ours to choose between the two. If we decided to learn from other people’s mistakes, we shall have some rich experiences of our own. Such a move will lead us to wisdom whereas siding with the bitter may have some unpleasant outcomes in store for us.

It’s your call, be wise and make the right choice!