As we grow, we learn many things about life. Some of these lessons are easy and some are difficult. What is the best way to learn them? Some believe that they can learn best by listening to the advice of others, while some people believe that it is better to learn through personal experience. Both methods have their advantages.

　　In the first case, learning by listening to others, we have the benefit of learning from others’ mistakes and are thus being able to avoid them ourselves. We can take advantage of the experience and wisdom of our friends and family. This will help us to make better decisions and avoid costly errors. Furthermore, the people who know us well can advise us effectively because they understand our strengths and weak nesses. At the same time, they are sometimes able to see situations more objectively than we are.

　　In the second case, learning through doing, we have the advantage of gaining meaningful experience. We will no doubt better remember the lessons we learn when we enjoy the rewards or suffer the consequences ourselves. Moreover, we can often develop other skills through personal experience and can learn from our mistakes. 　　Finally, no two people are exactly alike. Therefore, what family and friends think may be suitable for them, but not appropriate for us.

　　Given a choice between these two ways of learning about life, I would still choose the former, learning through the advice of others. This is because I believe I should take advantage of all the resources available, and the experiences of my family and friends are a valuable resource. For example, if I were preparing to take my first trip abroad on my own, the advice of others who have already experienced such a trip could only help me. Just as we can learn from history, we can learn from the past actions of those close to us.

　　In conclusion, I find advantages in both ways of learning. Although I prefer to learn by listening to the advice of others, that does not mean I will forgo learning through my own experiences. It does mean, however, that I will approach new experiences with the added benefit of my family and friends’ good advice.