Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.
There are many ways of learning about life as well as opinions which one is the most advantageous. I think that there may be no any universal rule for dealing with such types of questions and every person may have its own unique approach to these matters. Some people appeal to family or friends; others believe that personal experience is more effective when it comes to learning life skills. I believe that while family and friends can explain you a lot about life, your own experience provides the best way to prepare you for the life around you.
First, friends and family can teach you valuable life lessons by sharing their thoughts and views with you. People who are close to us can be the most important our teachers from the very beginning of our life. They can help you avoid making mistakes based on their personal experience and lessons they have learned. If you want to achieve more in you life a little advice may have a significant impact on channeling your aspirations in the right direction. For instance, parents may explain their children that childhood is not only about playing and hanging around with friends but also is the precious time when he or she needs to acquire knowledge and survival skills to thrive in his or her future life. Parents may also warn their children that there are paths in life they should never choose and shy away from drinking, experimenting with drugs or joining a bad company because this may have serious consequences for them.
On the other hand, family and friends is not the only source of wisdom and sometimes is not the best one. Your friends and family may try to dissuade you from doing what you want to do. They may posses a lot of experience but that doesn't mean that following your family’s or friends’ advices is always right for you. Your friends and family might not be able to see the whole picture or understand that you are indeed making the right choice. Even the best friend may derail your pursuits of a certain career because he or she tried to follow the same path but failed to make his or her dreams come true. So, it does make sense to be discreete and not to rely completely on your peers’ or parents’ experience.
In addition, your friends’ and family’s experience may not be relevant to modern life. It may be outdated. If you try to live only up to someone’s values you may become a second edition of that person and regret later that you did not fulfill your own desires, did not realize your potential and eventually lost your true self.
In conclusion, family and friends can pass on their life skills to us but pre-chewed food is not that tasteful as the fresh one. I think we gain courage, strength and confidence by every phase we go through. We should not scorn the value of our friends' or family's experience but should not overestimate it too and should always embrace the challenges the life presents because it forges a strong and capable person.
