Your Lived Experience Is Valid, Even When Experts Disagree

Notes to Young Leaders | 13 February 2026

A note to young leaders.

The doctor bent over the lifeless figure in bed. Then he straightened up and solemnly declared:

“I’m sorry to say, Sir, that your wife is no longer with us. Please accept my deepest condolences.”

A feeble sound of protest issued from the lifeless figure in bed: “No, wait, I’m still alive.”

“Hold on dear”, said the husband. “The doctor knows better than both of us.”

When experts say one thing but your direct experience suggests another, trust your own experience.

Experts have their own own agenda and prejudices.