I am about 50/50 on this, I don't always take advice sometimes I weight advice based on my own knowledge, experience and logic. By doing this for the most part I avoid learning by the School of Hard Knocks. Not all advice is good advice or correct in your particular situation.

Most times I have learned the hard way. With just about everything that I have accomplished, there have been people telling me that I had made a mistake in pursuing such a goal. My dad told me that there was no way that I would make it in the Marines, and he guaranteed me that I would be kicked out and back home in a week. I returned 3 months later, after graduating near the top of my bootcamp platoon.

I have to learn my lessons the hard way, along with watching other people learn the hard way. For instance, I learned not to date coworkers by witnessing a very messy, dramatic relationship blossom and burn years ago. I do NOT need/want that in my workplace. I rarely take someone's word for anything, from restaurant reviews to life experiences. I just need to do it for myself, bearing in mind what I've already been told.

As someone who generally tends to over analyze everything I usually wind up in some kind of training/leadership role and I've noticed most people generally learn best from making mistakes. However, some people keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. It's always for a lack of something, whether it's ability or caring. Preparation can only take you so far, the best way to learn is to try, again and again.

We're all human here. As such we all know that when we're told something is going to go wrong, we're going to get hurt, or we're just getting screwed over, we are exceptional and incapable of making common mistakes that other people have.

Yeah, I tend to ignore the advice and charge straight into a full-blown clusterfuck of my own making.

Every older person ever has said "Why couldn't they listen to me?". "I have the benefit of experience".

I think there are things we learn on our own no matter what someone else tells us.
And not listening is very much a part of being young and believing you are invincible.

I also think if we're lucky we gain in wisdom and listen more actively. And learn from others.

This one is a good one for me. I am an observer and good at extrapolating information/experience from watching other people, mixed in with a healthy dose of empathy. This is why I am alive today. Advice is good, but I find it usually prejudiced. So unless you know where someone is coming from, their advice isn't always good for you.

They say that experience is a lousy teacher, because it gives you the test first, then teaches you the lesson...

Learning the hard way increases your appreciation for good advice later. Definitely.

Certain mistakes will always be more memorable to me than any lesson, though. Some things cannot be forgotten.

Even the things that went wrong were a learning experience. But when blood flows, or drips, it is time to back off and reconsider. I agree with you, life is a learning experience.

Despite all the data, I still smoke. That should be rather telling.

Have to say that it is both, but as I grow older I twnd ro listen to the experience of others more

Sadly I've learned most big life lessons the hard way, though it's laso the fun way!

Both

Most of my lessons have been the hard way especially when I was younger.

Depends on what's the leson and who is telling me it's a bad idea. And there should be a suggestion for a better way.

Just today was my gym day. I was doing one exercise and the attendant told me my form was wrong. I tried her suggestion and my muscles told me she was right.

I wouldn’t call ‘the hard way,’ better … but it does have a way of causing me to remember.. I do listen to others; too many people allow us to make mistakes so as they won’t feel alone, or singularly stupid… So when I’m warned, not only do I consider that a better person than most, I listen

The hard way for me.

If the story is compelling enough then by lesson otherwise by hard knock

I'm a guy. I never listen to advice and I always do it the hard way. Every time someone uses the phrase "Hey, hold my beer" I get a royalty.

sometimes, both. Too often I know better, but HOPE sometimes get in the way.

I've found that not only do I not learn from the advice of others, but I don't learn from experience. It makes no difference what happened in the past, I'm still going to be who I am, so instead, I try to take my inclinations into consideration and try to at least mitigate the result.

Example: I could lecture myself all day about taking life seriously and staying in a conventional indoor job, but I know that only makes me unhappy and restless, so why go there?