Nothing is truly "known" secondhand!
It's just someone else's opinion
which may or may not be valid!
An even if valid, its just a description of an experience
and not the experience itself.
That's why actual firsthand experience
is essential in understanding this world
and why there is no substitute for it.
And that's why any true wisdom path
is about the person finding out for themselves-
about the world
and primarily,
about the Self
and its role
in creating
the (experienced) world!
Sharka Todd
“Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha