Learn English – Saying or idiom that means learning a lesson from the bad or good experience

idiomspopular-refrains

We usually get advice from a friend or books or social media or else, and it only becomes a part of our information, we might learn from it and remember it or not, but if we experience it ourselves, and our experience involves with a feeling,like either it hurts our feeling or become very happy,therefore we learn and remember it better and perhaps change our views toward that matter, so is there any saying or idiom to describe that?

Best Answer

I like the expression once bitten, twice shy ( it refers mainly to negative experiences which, apparently, are those from which we learn most):

  • Prov. When something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person.

  • something that you say which means when you have had an unpleasant experience you are much more careful to avoid similar experiences in the future:

    • Jill: Let's go ride the roller coaster. Jane: No, thanks. I got really sick on one of those once—once bitten, twice shy. I once sent in money for something I saw advertised in the back of a magazine, but the merchandise was of such poor quality I was sorry I'd bought it. I'll never buy anything that way again; once bitten, twice shy.

I think the expression

take the bad with the good, is close to what you are looking for:

  • to accept the unpleasant parts of a situation as well as the pleasant parts.

    • Bringing up children certainly has its problems, but you learn to take the bad with the good.

( from TFD)

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