Do we need our own experience? Why experience is more important than things
> Life experience for professional and personal growth
Long ago, there lived a Chinese emperor. He had a beautiful palace, the most remarkable decoration of which was considered to be two vases - real works of art. The emperor loved them very much and placed them in the most luxurious hall of his palace. But one day a misfortune happened - one of the vases fell to the floor and broke into small pieces...
The emperor grieved for a long time, but then ordered to find craftsmen who could glue it again. And such masters were found. They worked day and night until the vase was finally reassembled. She almost did not differ from her friend, but still there was one significant difference between them: the glued vase could no longer hold water in itself. However, she had invaluable experience - the experience of being broken and reassembled.
(Eastern parable)
Life experience is the knowledge that we acquire in the course of our lives. It is very individual and each of us has something that others do not have. Life experience is necessary for us to comprehend, understand reality, as well as coordinate our actions, which allows us to successfully solve various life problems. Experience warns us against mistakes, tells us how to behave or not to conduct in certain situations, because they are often repeated.
Life experience is transmitted through communication between people, as well as with the help of books, films, programs. It appears as a result of human activity. And since our activity is closely connected with mental abilities, the acquired life experience is our intellect.
We begin to receive life experience from the moment of our birth, when we just begin to learn to sit, crawl, smell, taste everything, try to find out what this or that thing consists of. Without this experience, our further life is impossible. As we grow up, we learn to read, write, communicate, and respond appropriately to different situations. We can already apply the acquired knowledge and skills in life, solving various problems, creating new ideas, as well as reflecting on our possible actions and options for their real outcome. As we get older, we have more life experience. A rich life experience makes a person self-confident, allows him to cope with any task, he is not afraid to take on any type of activity.
Since experience is closely related to our activities and is also used by us in our activities, it is necessary to continuously develop the skills and abilities acquired in life. Consolidating them with practice, you can improve the quality of your work. By constantly working on yourself, you will contribute to your professional and personal growth, improve your abilities. You will become the best in your business.
Can there be anything more convincing for us than our own life experience, based on which we build our associations and beliefs, which often become basic? Of course, this cannot be attributed to those people who can endlessly step on the same rake, and at the same time not see any relationship with their previous experience, but rare cases of idiocy are an exception to the rule. Basically, any significant event of the past, which played a significant role in a person’s life, will certainly become his basis for his beliefs in the future, in NLP this is called an imprint - a rather interesting name from my point of view, apparently characterizing NLP, because it could well get by with the concept of experience. And since this term is on everyone's lips, I will use it, for your convenience, dear readers. So the imprint or our life experience, whatever we call it, forms our point of view, forms our behavior and the course of action, in case of a scenario repetition of the events of the past.
But as life shows, there is no absolute regularity in it, and whatever a person’s personal life experience in a particular issue, it can always be revised from a new position. In this regard, even idiots seem to be more advanced people, and if it were not for the thoughtlessly similar algorithm of actions on their part, leading to the same mistakes, they would not even be called idiots. Experience, as we know, can be positive or negative, and both have a certain effect on our psyche, and the less adequate perception a person has, the correspondingly this certain influence is less certain for him. How often do people analyze what happened in their lives, analyze, look for cause-and-effect relationships, try to understand the structure of what happened? But this is precisely what allows you to take control of a similar situation in the future, in which at least your own actions will not be identical to the actions of the past.
Whatever happens in life with obvious constancy, all this has an end, according to our history, the sun has been rising for several thousand years, if we take the history of mankind, but we all understand that even it will someday go out. In our life, everything is more fleeting, and therefore it is extremely important not to hang on to the same scenario, which is the same in a person’s head, and which builds a solid foundation of a stereotype in his head. In NLP, the reprogramming of beliefs is called a re-imprint, this is for general information, but for a simple understanding, this can be formulated as a change in beliefs to others. And this is actually a key point to which we must certainly pay attention. The key word in it is belief, which characterizes the way the world is perceived by unconscious people, who are guided in their lives by beliefs, and not by self-made calculations.
A person whose life is built on beliefs is easy enough to manage by making an artificial relationship of this or that event with his beliefs and turning it in the way you need. In this case, any negative experience may cause inaction in the future, a person may experience a feeling of helplessness and panic just because he does not have the necessary algorithm of actions in case the negative situation repeats, and he cannot form a new one along the way. As an example, you can take any situation of instilling uncertainty in a person, pointing out to him his negative experience of the past, which actually has nothing to do with the present, but nevertheless acts depressingly on him. In this way, people, as they say, clip the wings of others, subjugate their will to themselves, as happens in many enterprises, where a person is constantly pointed to his place, not a privileged one, but a place of a loser.
At the same time, the positive experience of the past, too, cannot be the basis for blind self-confidence, or even extremely overestimated self-confidence, because no matter how much you inspire yourself with the capabilities of a superman, they will not appear in you. Inflated self-esteem has a number of advantages, but devoid of common sense, it often leads to irreparable mistakes. After all, enthusiasm alone is not enough to conquer new heights; an accurate, cold calculation is also needed, which should be based on the reliable data available at the moment, and not on the successful experience of the past. Of course, personal life experience should not be ignored, but it is obvious that they must be used as a unit of account for the present, but using it as a guide without analysis, taking into account only a possible pattern, is simply unreasonable. For example, you stole something once and did not get caught, is this the basis for the idea of your own impunity?
Of course no! And no one can say with complete certainty which attempt may be unsuccessful, and after all, each subsequent one will proceed from the pattern of past experience, or rather from beliefs about such a pattern, when a person who simply blindly believes in another successful attempt, not only will not see the error , but will not take into account the external factors that preceded it. However, everything I write here is very difficult to apply to most people, since it requires a conscious approach to living in the present, and according to statistics, most people do not live it. It is the stereotypes and beliefs, based both on personal life experience and on an artificial form of persuasion, that are the basis of the life attitudes of the majority. And yet, since you are reading me, here is the door leading to a meaningful life, I don’t give you any convictions, everything follows from a logical chain, the construction of which largely transforms our thinking and, accordingly, affects our psyche and perception the surrounding world.
The past, your own or someone else's, is not the basis for the present, it is its prerequisite, so use it to calculate the formation of the future, working in the present, and most importantly, do not allow the indisputability of those patterns that take place today, since they are to a certain extent you restrict. A person who has not succeeded in ten attempts will not necessarily succeed in the eleventh attempt, and no personal life experience confirms this, you just need to use this experience to build a new, error-oriented, or even more correct to say shortcomings of the past, strategy.
This is the unity of skills and knowledge, which is acquired by all people in the course of their life, from childhood, from the very moment when the future member of society begins to receive impressions, experience, observe and carry out practical actions. In addition, experience is one of the basic concepts of the theory of knowledge. However, it is worth considering it in the traditional sense.
Life experience
It needs to be talked about first. What is life experience? So it is customary to call a set of events occurring within the framework of the biography of one and the same person. This, one might say, is his individual history or even a social biography.
It is believed that the number of situations experienced and their depth are the determining factors in the vitality of each individual, as well as his spiritual world. After all, experience grows out of experiences, suffering, the victory of will over desires and achievements. All this leads to wisdom.
It is generally accepted that life is given to a person just so that he gains this experience. This is the purpose of earthly existence. To gain experience, a person is completely immersed in life, passing through obstacles, experiencing storms that cause a lot of trouble. But it is in their decision that he often manages to find answers to many exciting questions.
Existence in society
It contributes to the accumulation of social experience, which is a set of skills necessary for participation in society.
What is experience in this context? This is practical knowledge about the joint life of people, which was recorded in the norms and principles of behavior, as well as in traditions, moral prescriptions, rituals and customs. It also includes feelings, reflexes, emotions, landmarks, attitudes, points of view, languages and systems of worldviews.
Knowledge about all of the above is passed from one generation to another. Without this, society is impossible. If at one moment the entire population, except for children under 3-4 years old, disappeared, then civilization would die out. After all, kids would not have been able to master all the skills of mankind. This is impossible without the transfer of social experience from adults who own it.
About individuality
It is important to pay attention to the topic of what is the experience of independence. It is most commonly experienced by children and adolescents. Slightly less often - adults. It manifests itself in those moments when a person begins to do something on his own, without guidance, advice or guardianship from outside.
This experience is especially important for children. If they do not get such an opportunity, then they will have nothing to comprehend. At the same time, it is necessary that the child has a person with whom he could consult (parent, teacher, guardian, one of the relatives). Otherwise, his own experience of independence will be empty or imperfect. It is not right. Experience must be "processed". Here is an example - a child can pick up the simplest melody on the piano by ear. But to play it correctly, with the “necessary” fingers, taking into account all the signs and pauses, he will succeed only after working together on a work with an adult. And there are thousands of similar examples.
Professional aspect
In addition to all of the above, children are taught about what relevant work experience is during their schooling. This is important for their future professional orientation.
Relevant is the work experience that a person has acquired in a certain profile. If a candidate comes for an interview at a private clinic where he wants to work as a surgeon, then the owner of the institution, first of all, is interested in how many years the potential employee has worked in this specialty.
Why is knowledge on this topic important? Because children must learn from an early age that professional self-determination is important. Of course, tens of thousands of people who graduated from a university in one specialty end up working in other areas of activity. But this is exactly what the school is trying to convey to children - they should not waste 4 years in vain. It is important for them to responsibly approach the issue of choosing a profession in order to receive a relevant education.
Army
In Russia, service is obligatory - such is the law. This awareness should also be instilled in boys during their schooling. And besides this, teachers should explain to the future defenders of the Fatherland what combat experience is.
The army is the real school of life. All guys, while in military service, undergo physical and drill training, go to shooting ranges, and also receive a certain specialty (which one depends on the type of troops). The army teaches to endure adverse conditions and hunger, to be responsible for what is said and done, to choose people, to respect elders. Service tempers in all plans. After the army, the guys become able to endure and do something, even if you want to quit everything. The service helps to feel the true value of freedom, life, health, and, of course, loved ones.
Many believe that without the army all this can be obtained. But only people who have not been there think so. A whole year spent in harsh, constantly aggravating conditions is a combat experience that is never forgotten.
Practice
Talking about what experience is, one cannot fail to note one more nuance. It concerns practice - human goal-setting activity that accompanies each of us from birth.
If you watch a baby, you can notice something interesting, but at the same time simple. This refers to the process of acquiring skills. One day he can barely hold a toy in his hands. And a week later, he consciously takes the spoon by the handle. Subsequently, he learns to walk. First falls, hits. But after a while, he manages to firmly stand on his feet.
That's what practical experience is. We acquire it throughout our lives, right up to old age. And there is! After all, many people, having reached retirement, decide to learn something. Some get on a bike, others go to a driving school, someone enrolls in a foreign language course. And in the course of training, they gain new experience. By the way, some may wonder - why do many people want to do something, to accumulate knowledge? Everything is simple. This is an innate instinct of curiosity, which often develops into curiosity.
Other types of knowledge
So, the above was accessible about what experience is. The definition is clear, but in the end I would like to pay attention to several more existing types of knowledge.
In addition to the above, there is a physical experience, the elements of which are sensations. Emotional experience involves feelings and experiences. But this is a rather complex holistic formation that integrates the most diverse types of mental structures.
There is also a mental experience, which includes aspects of consciousness and intellect. And then there is the religious, otherwise called spiritual and mystical. Its specificity lies in the maximum subjectivity of experience. The same feature makes it impossible to transfer this experience unchanged to another person. Because everyone experiences their own experiences.
The main advantage of a person is his life experience. Experience and knowledge in various areas of life. A person with rich life experience is ready for success. His failures were a necessary preparation, a time of apprenticeship. He has already made his main mistakes, and one should not expect obvious nonsense from him. He is hardened by difficulties and hardships, he knows how to take a hit - unlike those who cannot boast of great life experience.
« Life experience is information that has become the property of the individual, deposited in the reserves of long-term memory, which is in a state of constant readiness for actualization in adequate situations. This information is an alloy of thoughts, feelings, actions lived by a person, representing a self-sufficient value for him, associated with the help of the mind, memory of feelings, memory of behavior.". Belkin A.S.
Own life experience trustworthy, it is a suitable tool for finding the most appropriate behavior in each immediate situation.
Lack of life experience gives people a feeling of fear. And often it is the fear of failure. Remember that failures are always temporary, and our life experience acquired through trial and error will always be with us and will serve to achieve success.
To gain experience, you need to overcome fear, say to yourself: "Let's try." Many undertakings are accompanied by the word "it turns out." We just say: “I haven’t tried it, I don’t know if it will work out”. When there is experience, our speech sounds different: “I want, I know how, and I will do it” - this is how a person usually expresses his confidence based on experience. The presence of experience facilitates the efforts of any kind of activity, a person sometimes effortlessly performs the most complex operations, achieving the highest results with the least effort.
At one time, the founder of the original Russian pedagogy, Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky, speaking about professional experience, noticed that experience cannot be adopted, but it is possible to borrow only an idea from it. It is difficult to disagree. After all life experience is the matter is purely individual and the behavior of one, even in a similar situation, cannot lead to the same result as the behavior of another. Someone else's experience, someone else's opinion, someone else's mistakes and findings are a very valuable acquisition, but only as information, source material for the formation of one's own life experience. When you try on someone else's experience, this source material, you must understand that it will undergo a very significant change. Here, the statements of Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky, an outstanding Soviet film director and screenwriter, are interesting, which I bring to your attention.
Two heads and six legs; four walk, and two lie still
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