Knowledge and experience as well form part of the strength that we need as we grow up. Knowledge can be defined as the information possessed by a given individual through learning, education and research while experience is successful working of that knowledge in practice. While knowledge is extremely important both in one’s personal and professional life, experience also has is benefits and drawbacks.
Knowledge acts as the basis on which people understand the phenomena of the world. It helps us to decide, to manage separations and complexities, and to create new ways of thinking. Permanent knowledge is gained at schools, universities, through reading of books, attending of different workshops, and receiving the specific subject knowledge.
However, it is very clear that knowledge alone is not enough for todays world from the competition perspective. This is where experience comes in handy when it comes to the practical application of that knowledge. Experience include actual practice, making mistake, and working under various circumstances. It makes us to be able to acquire tangible skills, gain confidence, and work under changing conditions. What is important and cannot be read in books and learned from the lectures is useful experience that is obtained in the course of work.
The one is more important than the other and in many situations, experience plays a more crucial role than knowledge giving a person insight into how the reality functions. For instance, you might have read a book about how to ride a bike, but it is only after getting on a bike that muscles and balance for sustaining it take shape. Likewise, you may have read all sorts of articles in leadership theoretical aspects, yet it does not feel the same as when you lead a team and learn how to coordinate people, how to motivate them, and how to direct them properly.
However, knowledge in turn is needed for the ability to consider something new and different, to break boundaries hence making them wider. Knowledge helps one to secure opportunities, to be inventive and creative and to draw conclusions based on the logic part of the brain. This means that without knowledge, our experiences may well be restricted to surface level, without depth.
Finally I'll say the the perfect balance between knowledge and experience will be different depending on the particular situation.
In some situations, having a strong knowledge and understanding base may be more important, while in others, your practical skills and practical experience may be valued far more better. It is important to know and understand the uniqueness and boundaries of both knowledge and experience.
Therefore, it is worth saying that knowledge and experience are two ingredients that can be used for both personal and professional growth. In that respect while knowledge is the accumulation of what we know about the world, experience is how we put that knowledge into practice.
Therefore when a blend between what we learn in theory and practical aspects has been enhanced we are able to develop ourselves to the maximum, be able to compete and even excel at any task in future due to change.
