For generations, people have been made to "believe that experience is the best teacher".It has been popularly accepted. But the more i reflect on this topic, the more i realize that this statement
is misleading. Well it is true that experience teaches, but most times it is painful and comes at a great cost and certainly not the best option.
Lets be honest. Many experiences
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that people face come with scars. People loose time, money, opportunities, and even their peace of mind all in the name of learning and waiting to see the outcome
of your action. By the time they understand the lesson, the damage is already done.
So why should people wait to make mistakes before they learn? Why should pain and regret be our main teachers?
I have a friend named Eberechi. He started gambling when we were in senior secondary school. He became so engraved in it that he become addicted. We advised him to stop that this kind of lifestyle
will not result in good. But he refused and kept on betting. After secondary school, He entered the university and kept betting. It got to the point where he became using his school fees and
other peoples money in his custody to play bets.
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The result was devastating. He squandered the money and entered into a lot of debt. And currently, he is in verge of becoming a school dropout.
Truely, he has learned but with a great cost. He has lost dignity, respect and almost his sanity of because of his actions. This is where the idea of experience being the "best" teacher starts to fail.
One of the smartest way to learn is from the experience of others. Whether it s through studying other peoples experience, reading, listening to interviews, or simply being observant we can gain immense
wisdom without going through the same mistakes ourselves.
History for example is full of valuable lessons. Leaders, investors, and developers have documented their failures and successes for future generation to learn from. Those who study these
stories can make better life decisions and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
It is not always about experiencing something personally. Sometimes, its about paying attention to the world around us and learning through the experience of others.
it is also good seek advice before venturing or taking any action especially from people who have walked the same path in life. Sadly, many people ignore advice until it is too late. There is a common attitude
where people think that if the take the decision and make mistake they will learn better but this is certainly a waste of time and energy. Seeking advice is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign
of intelligence and maturity.
Experience alone does not guarantee learning. People can still go through painful experiences in life and still come out bitter and even worst instead of better.
The real teacher is not experience, it is how we process it. We can reflect not just on our own stories, but on the stories of others. When we take the time to think deeply about what we read,
see and hear, we will learn without having to suffer the consequences firsthand.
It i high time we reconsider the age-long phrase. Experience can teach, but it is not the best teacher. There are better options like mentorship, research and also preparation.
True wisdom comes from learning from other peoples experience. The best learners are those who dont wait to fail before the grow.
Let us embrace a smarter way to learn.