This is Why You Need to Be Careful Using Others Experiences
This week’s lesson is about how not to make the mistake of thinking you can learn from others experiences.
Experience is of minimum value because it is in the eyes of the beholder. For example, Bri loves the new Star Wars movie and she tells me and I go see it. I hate it.
The problem is that I made a decision based on Bri’s experience which is not relevant to my life.
Use It or Lose It to Make It Actionable – Using Others Experiences
Before using others experiences to make a decision, decide if the other person’s experience is applicable to your situation.
When to Use It:
Whenever you contemplate using others experiences to make a decision or solve a problem in your life.
What Do You Think?
Can you think of a situation where someone else’s experience did not apply to you?
Can you think of a situation where someone else’s experience did help you?
Until next time…Prime Your Pump!
–Howie
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So true but I couldn’t stop laughing when you described your visit to the petting zoo with your young daughter. Thanks for sharing.
Ah yes, the snake situation. I think every parent has experienced that. When Amy was three, mom took her to the Santa Barbara zoo for a day of kick back. The keeper for the reptiles had removed a snake (non-poisonous, of course) from its cage, and was letting the kids touch and hold it. She asked my wife “want to hold the snake”? Of course Joan blurted out “Eww. Gross”. But with Amy, no problem. We have a photo of Amy setting on the ground, holding the snake, she’s happy as a clam in wet sand.
Movies and restaurants are the two places where someone else’s experience may be totally irrelevant. We like action movies (think the Bourne series and James Bond), and silly comedies (too many to mention). Someone might gush about the social and emotional significance of some film – that film holds no interest for us. Friends may mention their preference for particular seafood restaurant, because the lobster tasted absolutely wonderful and the shrimp were, to quote The Big Bang Theory, “as big as a baby’s arm”. I will never eat at that restaurant, since shelled seafood makes me break out in hives, resulting possibly in a trip to the ER. But I do like fish. When I visit Missouri, its fun to drive around by the lake (avoiding the tourist places) and find some dive joint that serves pan fried catfish fillets and a cold beer. The kind of place where rolls of flypaper hang from the ceiling. Lunch time Heaven! But Joan is positively mortified, and will order a burger, not realizing the cook is a 300 pound guy named Bubba wearing an apron that ten years ago used to be white.
Just because someone raves and gushes about some activity or location does not mean that you will experience the same thing.
OK Howie, I’ve rambled on long enough, Take care and enjoy the long weekend.