▁relativ ity ▁etc ., ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁affect ▁our ▁individual ▁experience ▁of ▁any ▁given ▁situation ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁way ▁as ▁to ▁render ▁it ▁subject ive . ▁ ▁Im media cy ▁of ▁experience ▁▁ ▁Some one ▁able ▁to ▁rec ount ▁an ▁event ▁they ▁witness ed ▁or ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁has ▁" first ▁hand ▁experience ". ▁First ▁hand ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁" you ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁there " ▁variety ▁can ▁seem ▁especially ▁valuable ▁and ▁privile ged , ▁but ▁it ▁often ▁remains ▁potentially ▁subject ▁to ▁errors ▁in ▁sense - per ception ▁and ▁in ▁personal ▁interpretation . ▁ ▁Second - hand ▁experience ▁can ▁offer ▁rich er ▁resources : ▁recorded ▁and / or ▁summar ised ▁from ▁first - hand ▁obser vers ▁or ▁experien cers ▁or ▁from ▁instruments , ▁and ▁potentially ▁express ing ▁multiple ▁points ▁of ▁view . ▁ ▁Third - hand ▁experience , ▁based ▁on ▁indirect ▁and ▁possibly ▁un re li able ▁rum our ▁or ▁he ars ay , ▁can ▁( even ▁given ▁reliable ▁accounts ) ▁potentially ▁st ray ▁per il ously ▁close ▁to ▁blind ▁honour ing ▁of ▁authority . ▁ ▁Ch anges ▁through ▁history ▁▁ ▁Some ▁post - mod ern ists ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁human ▁experien cing ▁( qu ite ▁apart ▁from ▁the ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁experienced ▁surr ounds ) ▁has ▁under g one ▁qual itative ▁change ▁during ▁transition ▁from ▁the ▁pre - mod ern ▁through ▁the ▁modern ▁to ▁the ▁post - mod ern . ▁ ▁Altern atives ▁to ▁experience ▁ ▁Im manuel ▁Kant ▁contrast ed ▁experience ▁with ▁reason : ▁" Nothing , ▁indeed ,