EXPERIENCE is the lived events, emotions, and insights that a writer draws upon to personify their thesis. It is the most relatable kind of Material (1). You invite your reader to see biographical moments in cinematic quality, to know your interiority in high-resolution, and learn how you interpret reality to refine your outlook. Whether it's a quick anecdote or an immersive narrative, it bridges the intimate scale of your life with the universal human experience. Unlike a memoir, the Experience in an essay is a deliberate rhetorical tool, strategically scoped to serve the essay's larger purpose, its Thesis (2).
© 2025 Michael Dean
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