You mean as a tautology? It seems to have replaced direct experience but in contexts which are challenging.
In both contexts, it’s the opposite of theoretical knowledge. Most people will have seen someone operating a cash register or driving a bus but they may never have done it themselves.
Nobody can really know what it’s like to live with say chronic illness, disability, grief, poverty, trauma, unless they have experienced it. Nevertheless, our society functions in such a way that those who only have theoretical knowledge still have the responsibility of making decisions that affect people who do.
It reminds me of the letter that Diane Abbott got into so much trouble about when she compared discrimination against black people to other forms of discrimination.
A Swell Idea From ASDA To Deter Shoplifters!


