A lot of people believe that the way we get smarter is by opening a book and reading the words in that book and then starting another and doing the process all over again. However, I believe that knowledge is gained through our own experiences and what we do. How are you going to know what something is or what it does by reading other peoples accounts? I think it’s important to make your own memories and have experiences then learn from those experiences. 

For older generations, it’s hard for them to understand that just because someone might not do the best in school, doesn’t make them “stupid” or not smart, they just might not be an academic person. Some of the smartest people you’ll meet are the people who have been through things and have gained life experiences and make memories rather than the people who have lived a boring life doing the same thing every day. 

Over the years I’ve learned to be independent and not to rely on people for everything. We’ve all learned how to do things on our own like look up YouTube videos or even be able to use a computer in general. Our parents might not have known how to do all of that because it is fairly new, all the technology we have now. Especially since I’ve matured and went through school with so many people, you learn that not everyone will be there with you through your hardest times. For me, I feel like that’s a good thing to know and do until a certain extent; You can be independent but at some point or another you will need help from other people, and that’s okay to do.

It’s okay to try new things and for things to change, everyone should try something new on a regular basis whether it’s a new food at dinner this weekend or hang gliding in Mexico. Experience = knowledge. One book that emphasizes this point really well is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is ironic because this passage is about gaining memories and life experiences rather than reading. However, there is a movie version of the novel on Netflix. 

Don’t get me wrong, some books can imbed meaningful life messages and tell you something that you can take to heart and implement in your life. I am not against reading or books but I would much rather live through something (be with friends, go to dinner with family, go see a movie, drive around late at night, etc).

Sometimes it’s easier to read books and get caught up in what could be rather than what is. Living through something and learning from whatever that is serves you life lessons that you can’t find in a book or an article or even a phone screen. Phones enable us to view a life we want to make and look at each other’s Instagram feeds instead of living your own. Learning and gaining knowledge is found through life and living.