F*ck a Degree...Experience Will Always Win

The Real Wisdom Comes from the Work

"When people would ask if I had a PhD or if I was a therapist, I would say, no, I learned everything the hard way by screwing up my own life and then having to fix it."
— Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory

Let’s just get right to it.

Fuck a degree.

And before you clutch your pearls, no, this isn’t some anti-education rant. It’s not about discrediting people who pursue degrees because, trust me—I’m one of them.

I have a bachelor’s and master’s in Mathematics, I almost finished a master’s in Data Science, and I minored in Psychology and Sociology. So, yeah, I’ve done the academic thing. I understand its value. I respect those who take that path to create opportunities for themselves.

But let’s be clear:

A degree might give you knowledge, but wisdom is applied knowledge—and that can’t be taught in a classroom.

And even with a degree? Experience will always speak louder than what you just know.

Because here’s the truth:

The real certification is the time spent and the work you've done on yourself.

And people can feel when you're actually doing the work. That’s the feedback I get most often:

"I love reading your words. I love hearing you speak. I can tell you're doing the work."

And I love that feedback. Not just because it makes me feel seen, but because it's the truth.
I know what I know because I’ve lived it. I know how to help people because I first had to figure out how to help myself.

And let me tell you...
The deepest wisdom doesn’t come from a classroom, a book, or hearing the experiences and wisdom of others—solely. It comes when life has you backed into a corner with nothing left but your mind, your spirit, and the will to figure it out.

Intellectual Posturing vs. Real Wisdom

A degree, a bookshelf full of knowledge, or the ability to repeat deep-sounding insights doesn’t make someone wise.

That’s intellectual posturing—when knowledge is collected, performed, or used as an identity rather than a tool for actual transformation.

Some people gather knowledge like trophies.
They can recite every psychological framework, every spiritual principle, every historical lesson…

But if that knowledge isn’t applied to their own life?
If it’s not shaping their decisions, their healing, their ability to move through real challenges?

It’s just decoration.

Because wisdom isn’t about how much you know—it’s about how much of what you know is actually changing the way you live.

Photo by Ninthgrid on Unsplash

I was just talking to a friend about this the other day. We were reflecting on how, anytime we say something profound or offer deep insight, people almost instinctively respond with:

"So what’s your degree in?"
"Are you a therapist?"
"Where did you study?"
"How do you know this?"

Not because they’re just curious—but because they assume that wisdom like this has to come from a formal education, a certification, or some kind of specialized background.

It’s as if they can’t fathom that deep self-awareness, guidance, and clarity can come from lived experience.

And I’m like…
I learned all this the hard way—by screwing up my own life and having no choice but to heal it.

Because that’s the thing—wisdom isn’t given; it’s earned.
Not from books, but from doing the work.

I’ve literally had therapists tell me I was over their head.
I’ve had another tell me I was too self-aware and they couldn’t help me.
And then there was the one who was cool… but eventually, I became her therapist.

At some point, the Universe makes it clear that some of us were born with the gift of “therapy”—not because we studied it, but because we’ve lived through the fires that required us to pull wisdom from the ashes.

And when people hear me share the insights I’ve gained, they’re like, “Who’s your therapist?”
And I’m like… “I don’t have one.”
And they look at me like I just grew three heads.

But I mean it.
My healing didn’t come from sitting on someone’s couch.
It came from sitting in my own silence.
From questioning everything.
From having the courage to ask why when the world told me not to.

Reclaiming the Power of 'Why'

Have you ever noticed that?
How from an early age, we’re programmed to shut up and obey?

When I was a kid, I used to ask a million questions, and my mom would hit me with the “Stop asking why! Just do what I say!”

And just like that, the world initiates us into the matrix:
Don’t ask. Don’t wonder. Don’t think. Just do.

But what if reclaiming our power means returning to that childlike state?
What if the "why" is the gateway to everything we’re looking for?

There’s even that scripture that says:
"Unless you become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

You want to know why?
Because children don’t stop asking why.
They don’t stop believing there’s something more.

And I think that’s why some of us keep getting called to this kind of work.
Why people ask if we’re therapists, coaches, mentors, healers.
Why we naturally sit in spaces that others find too deep.

We never lost our curiosity.
We never stopped looking for the real answers.
We learned how to heal ourselves.
And by doing so, we unlocked the codes to help others heal, too.

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Wisdom Over Titles

Now, let’s be clear—this isn’t about dismissing education. There are plenty of highly educated people out here doing incredible, transformative work.

But let’s be real:

Some of the most “educated” people you’ll ever meet lack basic people skills.
Zero emotional intelligence.
Zero real-world problem-solving ability.

They hide behind textbooks, titles, and ego.
They use their so-called “expertise” as a shield—avoiding the one thing that actually matters: doing the real work on themselves.

Because at the end of the day, a degree might prove you’ve studied, but wisdom? Wisdom is applied knowledge.

You can know it all, but if you haven’t applied it—if it hasn’t shaped the way you move, heal, or navigate life—what weight does it really hold?

And more importantly—what has your experience taught you that allows you to sit in a position of authority?

Because before we ask someone, “What’s your degree in?”
We should be asking, “What have you lived through? What have you worked through? What have you experienced that gives you the wisdom to guide others?”

And that’s why, when someone asks me if I’m a therapist or what school I went to…

I might just say:
“I graduated from the school of getting my ass handed to me by life, thanks for asking.”

And I wear that degree with pride.

Photo by Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash

Words of Encouragement

If you’re someone who needs external resources on your path to healing and living authentically—do it unapologetically. Seek what you need without shame. But also, be kind to yourself.

Meet life with the curiosity of a child.

Because the truth is, we’re all just trying to figure it out.

As one of my great teachers, Reginald Martin, once said:
"In the concept of spreading knowledge, you must apply your knowledge. Become a scientist. This is how you change the inner man."

So go out there and do the work.
Not just in theory. Not just in thought. But in practice.

That’s where wisdom, strength, resilience, and SOLUTIONS are born.