Some of us are strong believers in experience-based learning, and would confidently argue about or criticize things we have not experienced.
Yet, if you haven’t had a particular experience, would it imply you have limited knowledge? And, would your comments or arguments be undervalued by others?
Can you really criticize something that you haven’t experienced yourself?
If the answer for that were yes, then most people with opinions, suggestions, and ideas outside their experience zone would be null and void.
If experience was the only thing that mattered, then thought leaders and writers who bring new ideas into this world would also be largely void, since they often have no direct experience of what they write about.
Experience is valuable.
But there is one more way our mind learns—and that is by reasoning.
Before we have the urge to reason about something, we first become curious. Curiosity is where our learning starts.
Once we’re curious, some of us might choose to learn by reasoning, or questioning, or debating, or sharing ideas. And, not necessarily taking the plunge of experience right away.
Humans have a strong observational sense. Paired with reasoning, this can result in truly great ideas.
Most ideas in modern science, as well as those behind new technologies, evolved from someone starting with an idea, yet having little or no experience—so don’t overvalue experience.
The skill of learning by reasoning is equally valuable and sometimes priceless.