Knowledge vs. Experience

[immiketoo]

@Riem, You have exactly the experience needed to weigh in on this topic.  Great reply.

[Riem]

1 hour ago, immiketoo said:

@Riem, You have exactly the experience needed to weigh in on this topic.  Great reply.

Thanks, appreciate you saying that, @immiketoo

Learning and knowledge management are just some of the areas where I've spent a big part of my career. I'm still new here, and hope I'm not adding such academic stuff that is boring and scares others away. I've learnt such a lot from the participants on leatherworker.net that if I can add something that is of benefit to others, I will gladly do so.

I should have added that we humans seem to have a preference - hardwired or acquired - of learning through stories. We'd sit for countless moments listening to (and even participating in) the stories our 'elders' tell of how they solved problems or survived hardship or how they came out on top of some challenge. This is actually part of what I've learnt of as the "Primal Learning" cycle.

Back at the dawn of time, how did the early humans master the harsh conditions without modern conveniences? While we will never know with exactness, perhaps something like the following was involved.

At night, they'd be around the clan's campfire in whatever shelter they'd be taking refuge in, natural family groups would while away time by listening to the war stories of elders. The stories were likely more than factual with rich embellishments and villains and hero roles inserted that emphasised and idealised productive behaviours. "That mammoth with the sore leg that we killed two moons ago? Let me tell you how I found him!"... and out would come a tale about central roles and how to actions and leadership and whatnot. The campfire turned into the school where youngsters and inexperienced members of the clan would both be informed and inspired.

From the campfire they returned to the cave to rest and reflect. Reflection is perhaps the single most undervalued part of the learning process. In their reflection they would assimilate new information into what they already know. "Big Hairy said he could get within range of the mammoth when the wind was blowing in his face and not on his back. You know, when I tried to get close to that buck I was stalking last time, the wind was in my back. Maybe that's why the buck got away".

From the cave, the novice or youngster took his insights to the watering hole where he shared them with his friends. He got confirmation of his ideas and insights, i.e. he transferred the knowledge into a social setting to mobilise it into action. In essence, he socialised new ideas/knowledge with peers and gained support, legitimising action. This part is usually not a linear process - it may take long to gain acceptance, with many a return to the cave of reflection, until action is primed.

New knowledge has to be tested in the real world, so our ancestor and mates likely had to actively seek out opportunities in the veld to put their 'theories' into practice. If they were unsuccessful, it likely meant a return to the watering hole and the cave of reflection to refine their theory and amend it by adding further insights. It might have taken a trip back to the campfire - the school - to ask questions to enrich their learning. Until they had success in real life - a slain animal to contribute to the clan's upkeep. And also a new story to tell around the campfire.

If we pause a moment to ask "what type / category of threads on leatherworker.net did each of us learn the most from during the last year, I bet a fair number of people would cite topics such as "show your workbench or workspace" and "how did you get into leather work" and such less formal topics. Perhaps precisely because of the human stories that shone through in those topics...

Sorry for another long ramble...