“There are a lot of impractical things about owning a Porsche. But they're all offset by the driving experience. It really is unique. Lamborghinis and Ferraris come close. And they are more powerful, but they don't handle like a Porsche.”
Experience is what you get when you did not get what you wanted — and these quotes prove that the lessons of lived experience are impossible to shortcut. They cover wisdom earned the hard way, the value of mistakes, and why secondhand knowledge only gets you so far.
“Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a Latina woman.' Wouldn't they have to withdraw? New racism is no better than old racism.”
“There are a lot of impractical things about owning a Porsche. But they're all offset by the driving experience. It really is unique. Lamborghinis and Ferraris come close. And they are more powerful, but they don't handle like a Porsche.”
“We have that illusion that we are 'deciding' what to make a character do, in order to 'convey our message' or something like that. But, at least in my experience, you are often more like a river-rafting guide who's been paid a bonus to purposely steer your clients into the roughest possible water.”
“Every experience is a paradox in that it means to be absolute, and yet is relative in that it somehow always goes beyond itself and yet never escapes itself.”
“You know, I've learned a lot from every person I've collaborated with, from Madlib to Jean Grae and Hi-Tek, to Mos to DJ Quik, to even somebody like Jermaine Dupri. I've taken something important away from every experience.”
“If the experience of science teaches anything, it's that the world is very strange and surprising. The many revolutions in science have certainly shown that.”
“Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full participation of all our powers in the endeavor to wrest from each changing situations of experience its own full and unique meaning.”
“Sure, I suffered a lot. But it's not like the end of the world and it's not who I am. I lead quite a pleasant life and I'm able to divorce a perceived reality from my actual experience of life.”
“Yes, I've been trepanned. That's quite an interesting experience, especially for my brain surgeon, who saw my thoughts flying around in my brain.”
“Enough of this occupation, terror and abuse. We are not in need of your help. We are able to combat and defeat terrorism, and achieve unity. We are not in need of your bases, your experience and etc.”
“Everybody experiences far more than he understands. Yet it is experience, rather than understanding, that influences behavior.”
“You may count on Mexico's support, since your commitment to the noblest causes of mankind and your vast experience are and will be invaluable in enabling us, together, to achieve a better world.”
“It was the experience of mystery - even if mixed with fear - that engendered religion.”
“In fact the experience at Oxford has really helped me later in life.”
“I'm not particularly precious about the theatrical experience any more.”
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”