Scars vs Scares: The Difference Between Experience and Evaluation

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Experience is the best teacher,” but I have to tell you that it's simply not true.  Experience alone has never has been the best teacher and it never ever will be. For while growing old may be mandatory, growing up is optional and I know a lot of people who have never gained from any of the experiences they've had. They simply continue doing what Albert Einstein considered to be the definition of insanity, "...doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results". The sad part is, these experience we have often leave scars as a permanent (and sometimes painful) reminder of lessons learned in the past (if indeed we were wise enough to learn them the first time).

No, experience alone is not the best teacher. However experience that has been examined is the best teacher.  Only be examining our experiences can we begin to learn the lesson contained within the experience and begin to create and cultivate insight. We find accomplishment in conflict only if we’re willing to study the scene of the battle, long after the skirmish is over.

The only alternative to a scar, is a scare

A child who is afraid of the flame does not have to be burned in order to grasp a basic understanding of the danger of fire. The same is true with people. If we can examine the experiences of others, it will go a long way in preparing us to deal with the  difficulties of the future. There are many people who have never felt the consequences of various offenses simply because they were wise enough to examine the experiences of those who had and were wise enough to learn the lessons contained within.

The best sports coaches in the world know the value of examined experience. They will sometimes spend hours looking at footage from past games in order to know how to better equip themselves for the next opponents they will face. The better the coach, the more experience he examines, always looking for a way to raise himself to the next level. Some have said that, Michael Jordan has watched more game footage than anyone. If this is indeed true, it’s because he recognize that talent isn’t enough and that hard work will beat talent, if talent doesn’t work hard. Sure, he could probably go out and play adequately without watching any footage, but in order to play at the best of his ability he has to examine his experience in order to give a better performance in the game.

Andrew Carnegie would frequently surround himself with men more knowledgeable than him in the area of business he wanted to become involved in so as to save himself the hassle of having to learn completely through experience.

Now I’m not saying that scares can always prevent scars. Everyone will make mistakes throughout their life, but the ability to learn from the mistakes of others will go a long way at keeping scars to a minimum.
Find a mentor, invest in coaching, examine the experiences of those you find successful if you want to have a life that has been spared through scares rather than marred through scars.