"In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy"

Rapid change brings with it unfamiliar situations, new challenges, and untested paths. People naturally rely on experience as a guide, after all, past successes often lay the groundwork for future confidence. However, what once worked reliably can become a stumbling block when circumstances evolve quickly. Habitual reliance on old methods or assumptions may blind individuals to emerging realities, preventing them from recognizing opportunities or threats that don’t fit established patterns.

Experience is typically honored because it provides valuable insights and practical know-how. Yet, when external factors change at an accelerated pace, technological advances, cultural shifts, economic upheavals, what used to be effective may no longer apply. Clinging to familiar solutions or processes can inadvertently foster rigidity. Experts with extensive backgrounds might dismiss new information or unconventional approaches, convincing themselves their way is best simply because it has worked in the past. Such thinking risks obsolescence and can cause one to lag behind more adaptable competitors or peers.

Innovation, agility, and a willingness to question deeply held beliefs become more important when the ground is shifting. When experience morphs into dogma, it shields people from uncertainty but also from growth. Those comfortable with their expertise tend to resist change, sometimes subconsciously, because it threatens both their sense of mastery and status. Ironically, the very strength that propelled them forward, confidence rooted in experience, can convert into a weakness unless combined with open-mindedness, curiosity, and humility.

To thrive amid rapid change, it’s crucial to treat experience as one tool among many, not an infallible guide. Continuously reassessing what is truly valuable, welcoming fresh perspectives, and embracing lifelong learning are strategies that foster resilience. In essence, surviving, and succeeding, when faced with swift transformation relies more on adaptability than on the comforting certainties of the past.