We should not disregard the value of experience

My favourite subject at school was history. While all my classmates were having nightmares out about memorising all the important dates, place names and timelines, I was fascinated by characters.

From Julius Caesar to Winston Churchill, I was mesmerised by the wisdom and leadership skills of the greatest statesmen and women from the last two millennia.

For me, the exact dates were not important. What was important was their words and the fact they have survived through the ages. Caesar is one of my favourites. He was the master of the three-word speech.

“Alea iacta est”, said the Roman leader before crossing the Rubicon. And, of course “veni, vidi, vici”, which he wrote in 47 BC, reporting back to Rome about his military campaign against Pharnaces II, a prince of Pontus.

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Churchill gave many famous speeches during his tenure as the man leading the Brits through World War II and, fortunately, we can, thanks to technology, still listen to his recorded words.

While his speeches motivated a nation through their darkest hours, his one-liners are also priceless. My favourite: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Whenever I find myself in a hole, Churchill’s words inspire me.

But it’s not only great historical figures who produce these pearls of wisdom. My friend Ben once told me a story about a billionaire giving a keynote address to a group of MBA graduates.

“If you’re all so clever, why aren’t you rich?” asked the speaker, to which a member in the audience replied: “If you’re so rich, why aren’t you clever?” Touché.

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On Saturday, I was at the horse racing meeting at Turffontein where trainer Joe Soma and jockey Piere Strydom paired up to win the Fillies Guineas with a horse named Lady Of Power. Like many bettors, I didn’t give the horse a snowball’s hope in hell of winning, but she did, at odds of 25/1.

After the race, Soma had this to say: “To all the youngsters out there, just remember one thing – education only teaches you how to spell experience.”

While the importance of education can never be underestimated, we somehow tend to disregard the value of experience. Thanks, Joe, for reminding us.

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