Well, the lesson might not have the same effect if it was, say, written in a blog entry, but I think it'd be close. The hard part with the blog is that it would never have reached the audience nor attained the stature in people's minds that the novel has.
On the other hand, what you and Hesse both point out is no less true: you don't learn wisdom by being told things, but only through firsthand experience. That experience can be enhanced and made more effective by words that influence how you approach or process the experience, but ultimately you still have to go through something to make it your own.
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Date: 2007-03-10 11:13 pm (UTC)On the other hand, what you and Hesse both point out is no less true: you don't learn wisdom by being told things, but only through firsthand experience. That experience can be enhanced and made more effective by words that influence how you approach or process the experience, but ultimately you still have to go through something to make it your own.