“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 bitterest.”
-Confucius
According to Confucius, experience is the most painful path to wisdom. Many people have attained salvation by inner reflection and following great souls. The latter path keeps you intellectually subjugated as the source of real knowledge lies within. Blind following can often lead to bigotry and contradictions.
One cannot gain knowledge through reflection without experience. All reflections arise from past sentience. More experience means more thoughtful you would be. Accepting established wisdom can help you along the path to self-realization but there is certainly no replacement to dear bought experience.
While we all acknowledge the value of learning through stumbling, nobody likes to stumble. Reaching for any new experience has its own risks. Then, the fear of failure is greater than failure itself. Remember, the bounds of your capability are determined by the limits of your experiences. More available you are to new sensations, more accomplished you would be.
The path of experience is treacherous but its practice cannot be emphasized enough. It is easier to internalize an exercise once we realize its importance and outcomes.
We are more comfortable with the tasks we have done before. The ease of doing that task is borne out of our familiarity with it.
Our immediate surroundings, as well as perceptions inculcated by family and society, are main sources of our experience. The fear of the unknown stops us from accepting new experiences in life. Perfecting an art is nothing but proper channelization of experience into it. For example, the richness of the painter’s experience is reflected in his painting. While we can see this richness of colors, it is difficult to associate with the more subtle expression of perceptions enshrined in that artwork.
Mastering experience is also an art. You become open to learning new things once you realize that experience is a natural process.
Written by: Dr. Praveen Tiwari, Author, Satya Ki Khoj