Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards.
I love this old Chinese saying, why? Well because it is life in a nutshell. Of course we have "serial offenders" who learn little from past mistakes but for most of us we are learning "on the job" as it were. For me as a compulsive researcher of everything it alarms me that for alot of life experiences I can't swot up on my subject!!
As a writer am I more prepared as I look at different lives and experiences does it enable me to make less mistakes because I can learn from other's mistakes???
I don't think so....what do you think??