Experience vs. Wisdom

image: Britanncia. James Nasmyth's steam hammer.

Experience is one of those words that takes on an identity through over use and changes they way we understand it. We find it as a dance in most resumés and job postings listed as a strength and requirement often, without context.

It has always struck me as something of a two edged sword, as a polarity. At one end of the spectrum is experience defined by craft, commitment and curiosity - developing skill and understanding through constant testing of ourselves in different circumstances. At the other is the experience of the steam hammer - years of pounding away at the same old surface, and ending up with little more than a headache.