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To HATE the phrase "lived experience"?

557 replies

ThisFluentBiscuit · 03/03/2025 06:36

Pet peeve incoming:

By definition, experience is lived! You can hardly have an experience without living it, fgs! And what's the opposite of lived experience? An experience that you've had, yet haven't lived? It's complete nonsense. It's used to sound falsely clever when an argument is weak, like "In my personal experience." Well, of course your experience is personal! You would hardly say, "In my neighbour's experience, I find Florida too cold in December."

And it's officially wrong, because it's a tautology. Like "top-floor penthouse."

I don't know whether it's the innate stupidity of the phrase or the fact that it's a linguistic fad that annoys me the most.

"stamps off"

OP posts:
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GretchenWienersHair · 03/03/2025 06:45

For example: you may have “experienced” racism/ableism/homophobia/other form of oppression by witnessing it and perhaps having some understanding of it, albeit limited. Someone black/disabled/gay/other will have the lived experience of dealing with the every day pressures of a racist/ableist/homophobic/other oppressive society.

LillyPJ · 03/03/2025 06:45

Agix · 03/03/2025 06:39

Experience and lived experience are different things.

How? Experience is something you've lived through and therefore have some anecdotal knowledge of. I think the phrase 'lived experience' is just a new fad.

ThisFluentBiscuit · 03/03/2025 06:44

OK, so you're saying that it's possible to have an experience that you haven't lived through?

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lakecomomo · 03/03/2025 06:43

Agix · 03/03/2025 06:39

Experience and lived experience are different things.

I agree!

popdepop · 03/03/2025 06:43

yeah 2 different things, a quick Google will help you.

ThisFluentBiscuit · 03/03/2025 06:43

Agix · 03/03/2025 06:39

Experience and lived experience are different things.

No, they really are not. Please explain to me how it's possible to have an experience without living it?

OP posts:
Agix · 03/03/2025 06:39

Experience and lived experience are different things.

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