I know you must have heard this saying several times, and why it is a bad philosophy. But for the sake of not leaving any stone unturned, let's take a look at it anyway.
So, they always say “Experience is the best teacher.” And yes, sometimes it's true, because when you make mistakes, it hurts you, and you learn your lesson. But the honest truth is, experience is a hard teacher, and not everybody survives to learn the lesson. This also, I believe you are aware of.
Therefore, a lot of people fail, fall, lose, or even die… all in the name of "learning by experience." But why wait to suffer when you can learn from others?
Not trying to say you should be afraid to take risks or try new ways of doing things, but just know that a wise man doesn’t always have to fall into the same pit to know it's deep. He watches another person fall, and then walks carefully next time.
Proverbs 22:3 says:
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
This verse does not say the man waits to experience the danger, but he learns by foresight, by wisdom, not wounds.
Sometimes experience will teach you, yes. But wisdom will teach you faster and safer.
Think about Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26.
She looked back even after the warning, and she became a pillar of salt. Now if someone says, “Experience is the best teacher,” will you wait to look back too just to “learn”? No, because it will amount to foolishness. You learn from her story and obey.
The Bible is full of lessons ranging from stories of kings, prophets, sinners, and saints. Their lives are not just for history, they are for our instruction.
Romans 15:4 says:
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us…”
Even Jesus used parables to teach people without them going through the pain directly.
So yes, experience can teach. But it’s not always the best teacher, and believing otherwise is a wrong mindset, as it's sometimes the costliest. A wise person listens, observes, and learns quickly. You don’t need to be burnt before you know fire is hot.
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning…” (Prov. 1:5)
“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Prov. 13:20)
-
Mbimda Ali Mbishida
© The Inspirer
July 5th, 2025.
#powerthoughts
0 Comments