Experiential knowledge

Experiential knowledge is the kind of knowledge that comes from living through something yourself. It is often called firsthand or personal knowledge because it is based on direct experience, not from reading about it or being told about it.^[1] For example, you might know what it is like to comfort a crying baby because you have actually done it, or understand grief because you have lost someone close to you. This type of knowledge is deeply emotional, personal, and cannot always be explained with words.^[2] Unlike facts you learn from books (called declarative knowledge) or skills you learn by practicing a task (called procedural knowledge), experiential knowledge is harder to teach. It often comes from being in a certain place or situation over time. A firefighter, for instance, might get a “gut feeling” that a building is unsafe, even if no one taught them that directly, it comes from years of experience noticing small signs and changes in their environment.^[3]

Teachers have experiential knowledge in teaching children.

This kind of knowledge is shaped by where and how we live. It depends on the culture, setting, and even emotions we feel during those experiences.^[4] Philosophers like Edmund Husserl and Maurice Merleau-Ponty have talked about how experience is the foundation for all other knowledge. They believed that we understand the world first through our senses and our bodies before we even think about it in words.^[5][6] Experiential knowledge is very important in many cultures and communities. For example, Indigenous people often learn by observing nature, listening to stories, and being part of community activities.^[7] Inuit hunters, for instance, can read snow patterns and animal tracks in ways that scientists might not understand, because they have spent their lives closely connected to their environment.^[8]

People in professions like nursing, teaching, therapy, and social work also rely on experiential knowledge. In these jobs, dealing with real people and real emotions means that no textbook can prepare you for every situation.^[9] That is why these professionals often use reflection and storytelling to understand and learn from their experiences.^[10] In some types of research and even in courtrooms, people’s lived experiences are taken seriously. For example, in participatory research, community members share their personal insights to help solve local problems.^[11] In court, a victim’s personal story (called a victim impact statement) can help a judge understand how a crime affected them.^[12]

Experiential knowledge is also important in design and creativity. When companies want to make better products or services, they often ask real users about their experiences.^[13] This helps them understand what people really need, not just what looks good on paper. Educators like David Kolb have shown that we learn best when we go through a full cycle: having a real experience, thinking about it, learning something from it, and trying it again.^[1] This process helps people, especially adults, turn experiences into lessons they can use in the future.^[14] Sometimes, people overlook experiential knowledge because it does not always fit into tests or statistics. But it is a powerful way to understand the world, especially for people whose voices are not always heard in school, science, or government.^[15] Listening to people’s experiences helps us create more fair and inclusive decisions. Experiential knowledge shapes how we see the world.^[16] Someone who has lived through poverty or discrimination may understand problems in ways others cannot, because their experiences have taught them lessons that cannot be found in books.^[17]