### What is Experience?
**Experience** refers to the knowledge or skill acquired through involvement in or exposure to events, activities, or interactions over time. It encompasses both the subjective aspects (feelings, perceptions) and the objective aspects (events, actions) of encountering and engaging with the world. Experience can be sensory, emotional, intellectual, or physical.
Key Aspects of Experience:
1. **Subjectivity**: Experience is inherently personal and subjective. It involves an individual's perceptions, emotions, and interpretations of events.
2. **Interaction**: Experience arises from interactions with the environment, other people, and oneself. It includes both active participation and passive observation.
3. **Learning and Growth**: Through experiences, individuals learn and grow, acquiring new skills, knowledge, and understanding.
4. **Memory**: Experience is stored in memory and can be recalled and reflected upon, influencing future actions and decisions.
### What is Lived Experience?
**Lived Experience** refers to the firsthand, personal experience of individuals, encompassing their perceptions, feelings, and interpretations of events and phenomena as they occur in their everyday lives. It highlights the qualitative, narrative, and phenomenological aspects of how people experience their world.
Key Aspects of Lived Experience:
1. **Phenomenological Approach**: Lived experience focuses on how individuals subjectively experience and interpret their world. It is concerned with the "what it is like" aspect of experiences.
2. **Narrative and Storytelling**: Lived experiences are often expressed and understood through personal narratives and storytelling, providing insight into how individuals make sense of their experiences.
3. **Contextual and Embodied**: Lived experience is deeply embedded in the context of an individual's life, including their cultural, social, and physical environment. It considers how experiences are shaped by and shape one's identity and body.
4. **Emotional and Existential**: Lived experience encompasses the emotional and existential dimensions of being human, including joys, sorrows, challenges, and moments of meaning or crisis.
5. **Unique and Individual**: While there may be common themes, each person's lived experience is unique, shaped by their specific history, personality, and circumstances.
### Differences Between Experience and Lived Experience:
- **Scope**: "Experience" is a broad term that can refer to any kind of knowledge or skill gained from involvement in events. "Lived experience" specifically focuses on the subjective, qualitative aspects of personal, everyday experiences.
- **Focus**: "Experience" can include both subjective and objective elements, whereas "lived experience" emphasizes the subjective, phenomenological, and narrative dimensions.
- **Usage**: "Experience" is often used in general discussions about knowledge and skills, while "lived experience" is commonly used in fields like phenomenology, qualitative research, psychology, and sociology to explore and understand personal, contextualized experiences.
In summary, experience encompasses the broad range of knowledge and skills gained through interaction with the world, while lived experience delves into the subjective, personal, and phenomenological aspects of how individuals perceive, feel, and interpret their everyday lives.
