I’m starting a new business providing appendectomy surgery.
I’ve had appendicitis. I understand what it’s like.
That lived experience of the condition, the challenges of recovering, and empathising with the pain and discomfort is what makes me an expert at providing my new appendectomy services.
So… Who’s coming under my scalpel first?
This is, of course, tongue-in-cheek.
Lived experience is important.
But it’s also important to recognise that lived experience is only your lived experience.
I’ve lived my entire life as a white, straight male.
That lived experience doesn’t mean that I can understand what the lived experience of every other white, straight male is, does it?
When we need an appendectomy, what we want is a trained surgeon.
When we need flying somewhere, we need a trained pilot.
When we want a coach, we need a trained coach.
Yes, it might help if those individuals have some lived experience and understand that this lived experience might not apply universally.
But, in my opinion, you also need the technical, practiced and, often, certified professional to remove that appendix.
