For your consideration:
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”
– Will Rogers
We’ve all been there. You dive into a new skill, armed with books, tutorials, and a healthy dose of optimism. Maybe it’s golf, maybe it’s fixing a leaky faucet, or in my case, trying to resurrect a stubborn lawnmower. You read the manuals, you watch the videos, and you start to feel… confident. Perhaps even a little too confident.
My own journey began in my instrumental chemistry courses in college. Dr. John Walkup had the following advice when applying for a laboratory position – “If asked if you can operate a piece of instrumentation, just say ‘Yes.’ Once hired, you can take the instrument manual home and study it.” This fostered a sense of overconfidence in my abilities in me. Not realizing at the time that while a manual can certainly help you ask semi-intelligent questions and avoid appearing utterly clueless, it often serves as a dangerous enabler. Believing I knew more than I actually did, I’d inevitably encounter what Will Rogers affectionately calls the “electric fence moment,” proving my self-proclaimed expertise was, shall we say, premature.
And here’s my confession, I honestly believe there’s a lot to be said for “peeing” on that proverbial “electric fence.” I’ve certainly had my share of “shocks.” And while the metaphor is a bit crude, for me, it perfectly summarizes the process of discovering all the ways something wouldn’t work.
Making mistakes, and analyzing them, provides tremendous insight. It cultivates a deeper understanding and a firmer retention of knowledge than simply reading a book or passively watching countless YouTube videos ever could. The learning process can be painful, of course. No one enjoys making mistakes; it can wound our pride and occasionally make us feel utterly foolish. However, I would strongly argue that hands-on experience, complete with its inevitable missteps, is far superior to any amount of book learning.
So, the next time you find yourself grappling with a new challenge, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, to experiment, and yes, to even “pee” on that “electric fence” a few times. Those moments of “shock” might just be your most effective teachers.
