Experience is a great teacher
of the value of experience,
its claustrophobic prudence,
its gloomy name-the-disasters-

in-advance charisma.

                                       ~William Matthews, from "Misgivings"

There certainly is a lot to be said for the things we learn through the hard work of experience which is a benefit of getting through challenges and pleasures of life.

On the other hand, not venturing to do something because you've gotten stung by something in the past or looking for new occurances of old problems will keep you shut in very small spaces.