Knowledge Experience and Wisdom
Plato, "Knowledge is the statement adhering three aspects: truth, justification and belief."
Besides truth, justification and belief, knowledge should be measured based on the value. To understand the value, first there is the need to understand information. Everyone has a myriad quantity of information on the tip of the finger. How? Its' the internet! The internet offers us a lot of information. But its value based on the amount is questionable. In turn, how much of the information can be knowledge? Valuable in terms of person, his/her needs, time (immediate/in near future/situational), place (education/work/spiritual palace), material significance (income/investment/expense), knowledge is so understood. It is then inferred as the information i.e. valuable to a particular person/group for a particular purpose for a particular time/place. Thereby, knowledge is a untapped resource until put into use, on the basis of which human endeavors are started, continued and then put to an end.
Whereas, experience is direct observation or participation . It is associated with trail and error. Thereby, it is considered as basis for knowledge. It is the conscious events that make up life; memories. Memories is the sum total of experiences and life is the sum total of memories. Thus, experience is subjective as life is subjective. And perhaps bias too. The same observation or participation to an event including information access evokes different realization i.e. different experience. Based on the different experience we make different decisions in life. Decisions of relationship, job, education, travel and different facets of life that is synthesized into memories; either wonderful or awful.
Perhaps it is the interest inherent, which leads to different results. Whatever results are, they are the substantiation of experience. Experience has greater impact than simple knowledge. As experience is personally vivid, we are deeply affected by it. It is an integral part of each of us from the time we are conscious. This is why we remember more from experience rather than knowledge. Another reason is, knowledge is often times indifferent, impersonal and purely objective. If knowledge is the light then experience is the path we walk on. Despite the light, we may get hurt by unsuspecting obstacles like rockfalls or poisonous snakes. The light is limited for our perception/conscious is limited, only by being brave can we move forward. Then we can reach the destination we had envisioned.
Knowledge is a repository in-part previous experiences, in-part information and in-part human speculation i.e. shared. All of the knowledge is valuable, the only difference is how? when and why? Yet, experience is always considered far more valuable. Because until and unless the knowledge is applicable in the form of experience it never has true worth. With experience there we meet wisdom. Without a doubt, wisdom is the most valuable for it is rarer than the rarest treasure. Wisdom means an ability to think and act in such a way that it benefits everyone for now and near future. Attributed with unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, self-transcendence and non-attachment, and virtues such as ethics and benevolence. It is the pinnacle of human goodness, as Homo Sapiens.
Years and decades past, we acquire knowledge. Yet, we forget most of those knowledge which we don't apply. They just turn into mundane information and get forgotten. Thus, knowing is not enough, they need to be useful. There is a need to act on the knowing, thereby bringing spirit of wisdom. We need to thoroughly experience things as they come in our life. Other's experience can be useful only so far. As everything change with time, information turns useless. Only experience is dependable. Or is it? Perhaps what we need is both knowledge and experience. Experience is only dependable when backed by knowledge at the right moment and place for a purpose envisioned. Dependable experience is the path towards revered wisdom. Thereby through wisdom can longevity and happiness in life is achieved.
"Everything has a price. So does wisdom. Perhaps more so. We face pain, hardships, isolation and moments of despair from failures. Those bitter experiences scar the soul, tires the body and numbs the mind. Yet, family and loved ones are the balm to soul, sanctuary to the body and sanity to the mind. The precious experience of joy with them, leads us to postulate. It is how we form fine grains of wisdom. The ocean of time on the boat of life we sail on. We experience the storms, rain, hunger, thirst, and perhaps respite in lonely islands. With the final destination of "home" in mind, despite getting lost at times, we continue on. Perhaps we make same mistakes, without wisdom, without regret, we may sail farther and farther. But! Never give up or give in to despair. For what is life without those experiences? What indeed!
How can we even dare to understand the beauty of life without experiencing the ugliness, feeling of fullness without hunger, joy of companionship without poignant loneliness, the epiphany of knowledge without drudgery of ignorance, great triumphs without the anguishing despair and life itself, heartbeats of life without the agony of death? Without knowing one we will never know another, without experiencing these polarities how can we say we have the wisdom to understand the knowledge we have hoarded or the experience we have braved through? How Indeed!
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