Thought of the Day: March 12, 2018 - Experience versus Theory

Experience versus theory, which person do you would think is the most successful persons? In my opinion, the person who lives from experience is usually the most successful.

Many will say nothing beats someone's else's personal experience. You can learn from the things others have gone through. You can listen to what they say based on something they have tried, failed at or accompanied. Their story not only motivate you but can inspire you to do the same thing.

But listening to someone who speaks from theory can also be beneficial. There are many things you may not want to experience until you understand what is involved. You can talk to expects about what could go wrong and prepare for that.

Learning from theory helps you see things that need to be improved. It shows you what needs to be done before something can be experienced.

Experience versus theory, which one is better?

I believe both are great, it just depends on the situation you are in and the problems you are trying to solve.

If you are teaching someone to drive, you are going to allow them to drive. Explaining how to drive a car and expecting them to be an expert is not going to work. They may get it logically. But when they get behind the wheel and experience traffic, an accident or a police offer in the rear view, they will not know what to do. Its about reaction.

If you are sending someone into space in a new type of space suit you will need to understand all the pro's and con's before they use the suit. This is where theory can help improve on the design before you build and use the suit in outer space.

When it comes to your learning which do you prefer between experience versus theory?