The experiential method

"I have the impression of having been in my childhood like a beehive where diverse people, simple and obscure, brought, like bees, the honey of their experience and their ideas about life; each of them, in their own way, generously enriched my soul. Often this honey was impure and bitter, but who cares, all knowledge is precious booty."

Being traversed by an experience

Describing a human traversed by an experience versus a human going through an experience highlights learning and personal development. The expression "traversed by an experience" suggests a certain passivity on the part of the learner. The experience comes to the individual, who undergoes it rather than chooses it. This may imply a deeper or involuntary reception of the effects of experience.

Experiences that pass through a person can leave a deep mark, often at an emotional or psychological level, which can lead to significant transformation without the person necessarily intending to seek this change. Experiences that pass through us are often unexpected or beyond the learner's control, which can lead to surprising learning or sudden awareness.

The individual going through an experience

In contrast, the learner "going through an experience" implies an active, intentional approach. The learner engages with the experience with a sense of purpose or curiosity, suggesting a form of control or direction over the experience itself, or self-direction of learning. In this framework, learning is often more conscious and directed. The learner has specific learning objectives and seeks to draw specific lessons from the experience. Experience is then seen as a tool or a means to achieve personal or professional development, involving post-experience reflection and analysis, the reflexivity loop so essential to anchoring learning.

In both cases, experiences have the potential to transform the learner, whether in expected or unexpected ways. Indeed, whether undergone or chosen, each experience contributes to the growth of the individual, offering new perspectives, skills or knowledge. In both scenarios, there is a fundamental interaction with the environment in which the experience occurs, underlining the importance of context in the learning process.

The key issue then lies in the ability to integrate and reflect on experiences, whether undergone or chosen. For effective learning, it is crucial to develop a capacity for reflection, enabling the individual to draw lessons even from passive experiences and actively apply them in future contexts. This underlines the importance of metacognition (reflecting on one's own thinking) and resilience, enabling individuals to adapt and grow from all kinds of experiences, from the most painful to the most surprising.

What researchers say about the formative power of experience

Several authors and thinkers from a variety of disciplines have developed ideas that resonate with this holistic vision of experience, learning and the interaction between the individual and his or her environment.

• John Dewey, American philosopher, psychologist and educator, is one of the founding fathers of progressive and pragmatic pedagogy. In his work, notably in "Experience and Education" (1938), he argues that education must engage the student in an active process of experiential learning, in which the educational environment plays a crucial role. He emphasized the importance of interaction between the individual and his or her environment in the learning process.
  
  
• Russian psychologist Vygotsky's contribution is the sociocultural theory of learning, which emphasizes the importance of social and cultural interactions in the cognitive development of the individual. According to Vygotsky, learning first takes place in the social domain, before being internalized by the individual. This perspective emphasizes the role of the social and cultural environment in the learning process.
  
  
• For anthropologist and sociologist Gregory Bateson, the theory of mind and the ecology of ideas enable us to understand learning and adaptation as central to life. In "Ecology of Mind" (1972), he explores how individuals interact with their environment and learn from these interactions. Bateson focuses on systems and processes rather than isolated objects, proposing an integrated vision of learning.
  
  
• Urie Bronfenbrenner is a developmental psychologist. He introduced the ecological model of human development, which describes how environmental systems of different scales interact with the development of the individual. His model highlights the complexity of interactions between the individual and the multiple levels of his or her environment, from the immediate family context to broader societal and cultural influences. His vision undermines the notion that socialization is simply the internalization of norms and knowledge.
  
  
• As for biologists and philosophers Maturana and Varela, they are best known for their theory of autopoiesis, which describes how living systems maintain and renew their structure in a process of continuous interaction with their environment. Although their work focuses primarily on biological systems, the concepts of autopoiesis and structural coupling have been influential in understanding the processes of learning and knowledge.

These authors, each in their own field, have helped shape an understanding of learning and human development that emphasizes the importance of the interaction between the individual and his or her environment, whether internal or external, social, cultural or physical. Their work supports the idea that learning is an integrated and dynamic process, influenced by and influencing the environment in which the individual evolves.

The interaction between the individual and his or her environment, considered from a holistic perspective that does not strictly distinguish between awareness of experience and its internal and external traces, opens up a field of analysis for understanding learning and personal development. This approach reveals the continuity and dynamics of constant interaction between the individual and his or her environment, suggesting that experience is simultaneously co-constructed and co-evolutionary, reflecting a profound interweaving between the internal milieu (emotions, thoughts, physical state) and the external milieu (environment, social and cultural context).

Contribution of the Asian perspective of continuous and permanent transformations

This dynamic construction of the relationship with the environment fits in well with the Japanese concepts of "ma" (間) and "aida" (間柄) in reasoning about the interaction between the individual and his or her environment. These concepts bring a unique perspective, enriching the discussion of learning and personal development by emphasizing space and relationships.

The "ma" refers to the intermediate space or void between two or more physical or conceptual elements. In the context of learning and personal development, this concept can be interpreted as the importance of the space or time we allow ourselves for reflection, the assimilation of knowledge, or even the necessary pause between two learning activities. Recognizing and valuing these interstices can improve our ability to integrate new information, thus fostering deeper, more reflective personal growth.

Furthermore, "aida" refers to the relationships or links between people. This concept highlights the importance of social interaction in our personal development. Learning is often seen as an individual process, but the recognition of "aida" reminds us that our growth is also shaped by our relationships with others. Interactions with mentors, peers or even antagonists play a crucial role in our ability to learn and develop. They expose us to new perspectives, challenge our preconceived beliefs and stimulate our adaptability and empathy.

The integration of "ma" and "aida" into our understanding of learning and personal development therefore underlines the importance of balancing introspection and social interaction. Recognizing the crucial role of space and time for oneself ("ma") as well as the value of relationships and connections with others ("aida") encourages us to adopt a more holistic approach to personal development. This encourages us to seek not only to acquire new knowledge or skills, but also to understand and appreciate the complex dynamics between ourselves, others, and the environment in which we evolve.

This perspective enriches the discussion of learning and personal development by inviting us to consider how we occupy our space, interact with our environment and connect with others. It offers a framework for exploring how these elements can be harmoniously integrated to foster meaningful and sustainable personal growth.

Sources

Dewey, J. (2018). Democracy and education: follow-up to Experience and Education. Armand Colin.

Bateson G. (2008 [1972]). Towards an ecology of mind. Seuil.

Maturana, H. R., Varela, F. J., & Jullien, F. C. (1994). The tree of knowledge. Ed. Addison-Wesley France

Our thoughts Vygotski Https://nospensees.fr/la-theorie-socioculturelle-du-developpement-cognitif-de-vygotsky/.

Our thoughts Urie Brofennbrenner https://nospensees.fr/la-psychologie-du-developpement-durie-bronfenbrenner/

Our thoughts Gregory Bateson https://nospensees.fr/la-theorie-du-double-lien-de-gregory-bateson/