Since most people seem to prefer the other direction for some reason, we might as well go there, huh?
Here's my take on the thing from that perspective:
We all think we know stuff from time to time just because we’ve read about it or studied it, right? BUT…remember when we were a teenagers who studied a lot of stuff, listened intently to our teachers/professors, made excellent grades and really THOUGHT we knew what we were talking about and that our parents didn’t have a clue about things? THEN somewhere in our mid-20s or early 30s our parents or other elders suddenly seemed a LOT smarter and we found out things weren’t quite the way we'd heard/read? The things our education systems teach about the things of God alone should be evidence of how far off the mark they often are.
THAT’S the sort of thing I’m talking about. Life is an excellent teacher. I don’t know about anyone else, but life has taught me a lot of cold, harsh reality and I’ve had to toss a lot of THEORY from my earlier days.
I loooooove talking with older people. There is so much yet to learn and experience. My late husband's mom (referred to above) is one of the most godly women I've ever known. She will always have my heart and utmost respect. I trust her completely and would accept her counsel above pretty much anyone's (any mere mortal that is..). I pray to be teachable frequently, as wisdom is something we should soak up sponge after sponge after sponge. As Liamson often says: "From such a thing, such a thing comes." We become wise by learning from the wise, not from the inexperienced.
We don't know how much we DON'T know until we know it. There's wisdom in recognizing this alone; otherwise, our mouths can overload our backsides. I can't even begin to imagine what it will be like when we get to Heaven and our eyes are completely open to the wisdom of the ages. We'll be totally dumbfounded.
People in these forums have gone through a lot of HUGE stuff. If I have no experience in an area or haven't protected/cared for/worked with victims of the thing, I won't post just to be posting. I will either offer prayers/love/encouragement (as such things often touch my heart deeply) or I will simply close the thread. Oftentimes, someone who HAS been through the same thing has it under control. Most of the time people don't really want advice anyway. They just want to know someone is listening and actually cares.
The first thing my TO taught me when I graduated from the policy academy and hit the streets was that nothing was going to be like they told us… He was right. Heeding his advice saved my life probably more times than I will ever know. I would imagine a lot of soldiers, seasoned school teachers/parents/marriage counselors/pastors/etc. would say the same.
I work with attorneys. Bunches of them. Extremely intelligent people who have doctorate degrees; but it's been eyeopening to learn how little they know about the world outside of their gated communities and human nature.
My very wise war-tested stepdad said it best:
"You'll change your tune about a thing when you get out there and the wolf bites you on the (expletive deleted)"
P.S. - don't be bitin' anybody, Oncefallen
