Quora Answer: Would You Choose an Experienced or Knowledgeable Person to be Your Mentor?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If you were asked to choose someone to be your mentor, which would you choose, experienced or knowledgeable?”

The obvious answer is experience.  An experienced person is always knowledgeable, since that knowledge is based on experiential knowledge.  A knowledgeable person without experience is not necessarily knowledgeable.  He is merely informed.  Book knowledge does not compare to experiential knowledge. 

When we seek mentors, we are essentially asking for someone to guide us on a specific path.  That mentor is there because he has walked that path, and knows a better, faster way.  What use is a mentor who has no experience?