--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fools say that they learn by experience…" description: "\"“Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by others experience.”\" — Otto von Bismarck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/otto-von-bismarck-3444_education_fools-say-that-they-learn-by-experience_3018570.png" --- # Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to… ![“Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by others experience.” quote by Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/otto-von-bismarck-3444_education_fools-say-that-they-learn-by-experience_3018570.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/otto-von-bismarck-3444_education_fools-say-that-they-learn-by-experience_3018570.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/874/otto-von-bismarck-3444_education_fools-say-that-they-learn-by-experience_3018570.png) > ““Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by others experience.”” [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from others' mistakes is more efficient than repeating them yourself. **In simple terms:** Use others' experience to avoid mistakes. Key Takeaway Seek mentorship, observe, apply. Themes wisdom efficiency learning Mood pragmatic reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - business decisions - personal growth - education - leadership Key Concepts experience sharing risk avoidance Questions to Reflect On - Whose experience can you learn from? - How do you verify advice? A Different Perspective Not all advice fits every context; discern relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Fools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fools/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Learn By Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-by-experience/) [Learning from mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-from-mistakes/) ## Related quotes > [Fools you are. To say you learn by your experience. I prefer to profit by others' mistakes and avoid the price of my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-you-are-to-say-you-learn-by-your-experience-i-prefer-to-profit/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Writers who have delved into human nature, ancient masters of strategy, historians of human stupidity and folly, kings and queens who have learned the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/writers-who-have-delved-into-human-nature-ancient-masters-of-strategy/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [I was thinking that we all learn by experience, but some of us have to go to summer school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/i-was-thinking-that-we-all-learn-by-experience-but-some-of-us-have-to/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [We all learn by experience, and your lesson this time is that you should never lose sight of the alternative. Sherlock Holmes speaking with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/we-all-learn-by-experience-and-your-lesson-this-time-is-that-you/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [Whatever it is you want to do, take a job in that field. You will learn by experience and, slow and steady, you'll get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-ray/whatever-it-is-you-want-to-do-take-a-job-in-that-field-you-will-learn/) [Rachael Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-ray/) > [We do not learn by experience, but by our capacity for experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/we-do-not-learn-by-experience-but-by-our-capacity-for-experience/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [None of us feels the true love of God till we realize how wicked we are. But you can't teach people that - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/none-of-us-feels-the-true-love-of-god-till-we-realize-how-wicked-we/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I wasn't a very good student. I prefer to learn by experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristin-milioti/i-wasn-t-a-very-good-student-i-prefer-to-learn-by-experience/) [Cristin Milioti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristin-milioti/) > [We all learn by experience but some of us have to go to summer school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-de-vries/we-all-learn-by-experience-but-some-of-us-have-to-go-to-summer-school/) [Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-de-vries/) > [there are some people who never learn; indeed, few people learn by experience, so far as I have ever seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-oliphant/there-are-some-people-who-never-learn-indeed-few-people-learn-by/) [Margaret Oliphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-oliphant/) > [People are divided into two classes - those who profit by experience and those who do not. The unfortunate part of it all is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-fairbanks/people-are-divided-into-two-classes-those-who-profit-by-experience/) [Douglas Fairbanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-fairbanks/) > [... one doesn't really profit from experience; one merely learns to predict the next mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-hazzard/one-doesn-t-really-profit-from-experience-one-merely-learns-to/) [Shirley Hazzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-hazzard/) > [We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/we-do-not-learn-from-experience-we-learn-from-reflecting-on-experience/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [It's okay to learn from every experience, and it's okay to make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/it-s-okay-to-learn-from-every-experience-and-it-s-okay-to-make/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-learn-from-experience-i-prefer-to-learn-from-the-experience-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## More by Otto von Bismarck > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-learn-from-experience-i-prefer-to-learn-from-the-experience-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Earthly majesty is always akin to the fallen angel, who is proud and unhappy, beautiful but troubled, and whose plans and efforts, though vast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/earthly-majesty-is-always-akin-to-the-fallen-angel-who-is-proud-and/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“The Balkans aren't worth the life of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-balkans-aren-t-worth-the-life-of-a-single-pomeranian-grenadier/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/never-believe-anything-in-politics-until-it-has-been-officially-denied/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The government should cultivate the view also among the propertyless classes of the population, those who are the most numerous and the least educated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-government-should-cultivate-the-view-also-among-the-propertyless/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/when-a-man-says-he-approves-of-something-in-principle-it-means-he/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/preventive-war-is-like-committing-suicide-out-of-fear-of-death/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools you are who say you like to learn from your mistakes. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others, and avoid the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-you-are-who-say-you-like-to-learn-from-your-mistakes-i-prefer/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“Verfallen wir nicht in den Fehler, bei jedem Andersmeinenden entweder an seinem Verständnis oder an seinem guten Willen zu zweifeln.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/verfallen-wir-nicht-in-den-fehler-bei-jedem-andersmeinenden-entweder/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I am accustomed to pay men back in their own coin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-am-accustomed-to-pay-men-back-in-their-own-coin/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [I have often regretted what I have eaten, but never what I have drunk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/i-have-often-regretted-what-i-have-eaten-but-never-what-i-have-drunk/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The nation that has the schools has the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-nation-that-has-the-schools-has-the-future/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Vanity is a mortgage that must be deducted from the value of a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/vanity-is-a-mortgage-that-must-be-deducted-from-the-value-of-a-man/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) [Explore all 130 Otto von Bismarck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fools say that they learn by experience. 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