How I Know What I Know

       When I was little I was taught. You don't feed your little brother glue or dog food. He'll throw up and Mom will be furious. Don't say bad words or you'll get your mouth washed out with soap. Don't swallow gum or it'll be stuck for seven years. Don't talk back or you'll get a pop on the bottom. These were things I was taught by consequence. I remember because of what happened after, because of what I was told, what I believed, what I didn't want to happen or was afraid of. I know what I know because of what I have experienced.
        Knowing something, and being aware of something are very different. When we know something, it's because we have first-hand experienced it. But when we are aware of something it is through someone else's experience. It doesn't necessarily mean we won't do the same thing as them, it means we know what might happen. For example, if one sees their older brother lie and get a spanking it doesn't mean they will not lie. They will only learn to take precaution with how they lie or  who they lie to.
        I know what I know because I have watched and tried, I have seen and eventually mimicked, I've tested what my mother has told me not to do, and what she has suggested. I've experienced and gained consequences that have resonated. And I continue to repeat the ones that haven't. In the end, it is true when they say that a person won't know until they've gone through it. An outside perspective is not worth much.