knowledge vs experience - which is more important?
By evanslf
@evanslf (484)
September 12, 2008 5:16am CST
I wanted to start a discussion regarding knowledge and experience. We have heard many times how Obama does not have sufficient experience to be president and now, we are hearing the same re Gov Sarah Palin.
What I would like people to consider is whether they feel that experience or knowledge of the issues is more important.
My view is that experience is of some importance, but only takes you so far. Far more important is that you are well informed about the issues as this gives you the knowledge to base your decisions on. Without the right knowledge and information to hand, you make wrong decisions.
So in Gov Sarah Palin's case for instance, I am not too troubled that her experience is a limited resume, as is Obama's. What worries me much more is judgement, judgement based on being well informed and having a good knowledge of the issues.
So in her recent interview, she was asked about the Bush Doctrine. She clearly didn't know what this was. Of course, anyone can get caught out during an interview and everyone can be caught out not knowing something, but Palin not knowing the Bush Doctrine - which has been THE central plank of Bush's foreign policy since 9/11 - is rather worrying. For me, this demonstrates that she is not well informed re foreign policy issues, an issue that her experience (or limited experience) has little to do with.
What are your thoughts?
3 people like this
16 responses
@thickchic (41)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I agree for her not to know that clearly shows she is not ready to be president if God forbd something happens to McCain. George W Bush had knowledge and experience but we can see where that got us. I think a lil of both is important and I think Obama can probably do better than George Bush has done even though he is "raw" talent per say.
1 person likes this
@liscampll (124)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Knowledge! I'd rather have the Ivy League graduate than someone who ranked 894 in a class of 899. Experience will come.
@Mitraa (3184)
• India
13 Sep 08
Knowledge is important but more important is experience! In order to gather experience you should have active knowledge but in order to gather wisdom, you have to gather both, active knowledge and experience! Without experience, knowledge does not gather wisdom and also is not reliable at all. This experience only builds up us as wise and dependable! Thanks for this nice topic!
@Amagnimo (635)
• India
13 Sep 08
Well. I am not writing in particular for these to, since I myself am not aware about these too much... I just know their names and that's all. but in general I would rather tell - Both are infact required in abundance. Experience won't come until you try and you can have the knowledge and gain experience or you can gain the knowledge through your experience. Experience is practical, and knowledge is theoritical. The best part is with experience we do get the knowledge, and knowledge is infact at times, improper in certain situations. Specially for doctors, your knowledge is not enough at all! And so only a doctor is said to be practising - to gain epxerience! lol. Same is about lawyers - People who practice Law... etc. May be, same is the case here? Since in politics, no matter how good your knowledge is, you must know certain ways of the world and politics.
@mimico (3617)
• Philippines
13 Sep 08
I think knowledge is the backbone of learning from experience. They both go hand in hand. Knowledge sheds light on experience, whereas experiences affirm what we already know. I don't think it's possible to be successful without the other. I guess you have every reason to worry about Palin and Obama's lack of experience. Who wants a president who will self-correct along the way? But both these two are very good people. I don't doubt their ability to lead. You're actually very lucky to have great candidates for the election. In the Philippines, there's hardly a good leader among the current government officials. :(
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
12 Sep 08
What's important to me? Wisdom, life expreience, personal and spiritual maturity. And when I say spiritual, I'm not nessesarily talking about religion, or god or ones means of worship. I guess a better term would be philisophical maturity, almost a better terminogy. What has this person, done? Seen? Been? Overcame. And most importantly, how all of that shaped the person they are now. how much has all of this grown their world and personal views? How much has their perspective on life matured and developed?
all of this is what is far more important to me than simple experience and knowlage. How all of this makes a person able to utilize that knowlage and experience is far more important to me.
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
13 Sep 08
Seeing that some have experience but still learn nothing I think knowledge is far better. When starting with knowledge any experience is quickly taken in, learned from and remembered.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Actually, I think the ability to lead beats both out - you can have all the knowledge and experience in the world, but if you can't bring it forth in a manner of leadership, it does you no good.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I almost hate to say this because every time I do someone jumps all over me about it but here goes, knowledge is more important than experience. I guess it would be easier to say that we constantly hear how poorly American children do in school compared to the rest of the world, yet we put no real emphases' on education. We have our politicans repeating that a "C" average gets one to the highest position in the US government, then comes another politican announcing his graduation at the bottom of his graduating class. The people that are going to "fix" our education system haven't really put any time and effort into their own education.
Experience can help but honestly how many times can the children of this nation hear "a C is good enough to be president" and "graduated almost last" without thinking to themselves that trying hard and putting forth a effort doesn't matter?
@rowe0525 (677)
• China
12 Sep 08
i think experience is more importan than knoledge if i have to ask this question
@longyinghan (145)
• China
12 Sep 08
oh,it is a hard problem.i do not know which one is better.as for me,sometimes the knowledge ,but sometimes it is the experience.so i think different people have different opinions.it is a good idea.
@rekcart83 (149)
• Philippines
13 Sep 08
Knowledge is very important. And with that knowledge you gain experience. Its like the two are connected. You can't have experience if you don't have the knowledge after all. How can you say that you have experience if you don't have the knowledge about the work. If you don't have the knowledge how did you even gain experience. Lol. What I mean is if you have the experience then you absolutely also had the knowledge. And in job hunting, employers always prefer the ones who have experience already. The ones who have worked already for 2, 3 or 4 years in their field of expertise. As you gain experience, you gain knowledge. Knowledge is power.
@johnsujan (27)
• India
12 Sep 08
Knowledge is better than experience.. In order to retain or gather experience you should have knowledge.. You can just just change the argue as Education Vs experience.. Without knowledge , experience is wastefull and not reliable. . .
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Knowledge is power, that is what I was always taught. And honestly I think it when it comes down to the experience issue Obama is more experienced than she is. I think he has a better understanding on how the Washington machine works becasue he has been there. I also think he does better on foreign relations than she does.
I was upset that she didnt know what hte Bush Doctrine was, even my thirteen year old caught on to that. Maybe she's been so busy in Alaska trying to rack up the federal earmark money she hasn't been in touch witht he rest of the world.
That being said, I think Obama needs to stop worrying about Palin, that's Bidens job, and she looks like a rank amateur compared to him. Obama needs to set his sites on McCain, maybe make a public statement that he is done discussing the VP nominee for the other side, and show the country what he's made of.Obama/Biden '08!
@blitzkiba (641)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
For me both knowledge and experience are important..Since knowledge is where we base our (as you said) decisions our experience makes our decisions easier(i think im just new here) hehehehehehehe. But i really believe both have the same importance.
