"No one was ever wise by chance." Seneca Let's pretend we have two individuals out hiking in the woods. The first trips over a root, and after scrambling back to his feet, kicks the root in frustration and storms off. The second individual trips over the very same root as well, but has a different response. After gathering himself, he moves on, now paying attention to his path, he refreshes himself on the importance of being aware of his surroundings and scan the path ahead. One took the effort to learn from his experience, the other did not. Wisdom isn't by chance, it's by choice.