Most Americans want advice from people who've actually been through it
Core finding
Experiential knowledge, or truth learned from living through something rather than from reasoning or secondhand information, carries real weight when Americans seek advice: 56% say it matters significantly, according to a May 2026 Verasight survey.
Another 32% say it matters somewhat and 6% call it the only thing that matters, while just 3% say it rarely matters and 3% not at all.
Topline distribution
Most Americans want advice from people who've actually been through it.
How much does experiential knowledge matter when seeking advice from someone? Experiential knowledge is “truth learned from personal experience with a phenomenon rather than truth acquired by discursive reasoning, observation, or reflection on information provided by others.”
n = 474 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.8%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 474 |
| Margin of error | ±4.8% |
| Module | identity |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
How much does experiential knowledge matter when seeking advice from someone? Experiential knowledge is “truth learned from personal experience with a phenomenon rather than truth acquired by discursive reasoning, observation, or reflection on information provided by others.”
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=474 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.8%.