I've learned a good deal aobut chess from books, and about grappling from books, though I have not been grappling or playing chess while reading them. Plenty of valuable information about expereinces/actions/ect... can be learned through reading, you may even learn things you would have never found out on your own.
For instance: I could have played chess forever on my own and never really understood the superiority of the Ruy Lopez.
By the same token: Someone who has been in a combat situation may not ever realize why they felt or reacted the way they did under those circumstances, but through a book they can look into such things and understande themself. Better themself.
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