There are very few valuable resources that only accumulate.
Experience is one. As a resource it has a peculiar property- it accumulates and transforms ; often unnoticed by the knower. Even though it should be relatively simple to identify when we aren't accumulating net new experience, in practice, it doesn't seem to be the case.
The human mind- used to to patterns makes it harder to identify the net new experience gained. However,paradoxically it is able to interpolate the scenario of "the bigger the loss, the bigger the lesson."
Experience is one. As a resource it has a peculiar property- it accumulates and transforms ; often unnoticed by the knower. Even though it should be relatively simple to identify when we aren't accumulating net new experience, in practice, it doesn't seem to be the case.
The human mind- used to to patterns makes it harder to identify the net new experience gained. However,paradoxically it is able to interpolate the scenario of "the bigger the loss, the bigger the lesson."
Claim 1: Experience as knowledge
Personal experiences can stimulate the systematic production of knowledge by the knower.
This is the most common type of claim to be seen in the status driven mindset. The illusion of continuous growth veils the repeated nature of unexamined routines.
Plato acknowledged that self awareness of ignorance is the first step to intellectual growth. Krishnamurthi suggests that experience should not be conditioned by past patterns, therefore it is not regarded as knowledge. Only when we are free from it- do we encounter truth.
Plato acknowledged that self awareness of ignorance is the first step to intellectual growth. Krishnamurthi suggests that experience should not be conditioned by past patterns, therefore it is not regarded as knowledge. Only when we are free from it- do we encounter truth.
A quote by Stephen Covey describes how we often trick ourselves by thinking of experience as something we endure (loops of repetition) vs. something we expose ourselves to:
“Some people say they have 20 years experience, when in reality, they have 1 year's experience repeated 20 times."
Claim 2: Experience challenges pre-existing knowledge
Experience often disrupts of what we consider to be true. This is one of the basic user interface to subjective reality. It is also an explainable case for the repeated patterns of behavior like honesty or narcissism- both of which are a byproduct of self-esteem. Both Plato and Krishnamurthi highlight that experience questions pre-conceptions and therefore a no memory approach fosters deeper understanding of the non-dual truth.
Claim 3: Knowledge can significantly extend the personal experiences of the knower.
According to Plato it’s possible to be intelligent but have little-to-no knowledge about the world or, more importantly, yourself.
And there’s nothing wrong with this.
In fact, to know that you are not knowledgeable was seen by Plato as being a marker of an extremely advanced intellect. This is why he devoted much of his early writings to his famous teacher, Socrates.
He believed wisdom stems for clarity of understanding oneself. Krishnamurthi suggested the same by questioning the role of conditioning in ones life.
