There are various ways to learn. We can study in order to gain understanding that will lead to the experience of what we've studied. An engineering student can learn about building bridges so that someday she can build them. A follower of Christ can learn about forgiveness so that he can experience it and transmit it.
Or, we can learn by experiencing things before we learn about them. You can experience the sweet and delicious flavor of a succulent orange long before you ever- and even if you never- learn the hard facts of why the orange is a very desirable fruit. You can experience God's forgiveness and be waylaid by it before you are able to parse the meaning of forgiveness.
Both ways of learning are valid. Which is preferable?
I'm not sure. I think there are times that it is necessary to study in order to experience and there are times when it is necessary to experience in order to learn.
Because the Holy Spirit is revealed to us in John's Gospel (especially chapters 14,15,16) as the One who is the Teacher and Revealer of truth, it would be good to ask Him to help us to be willing to learn in whatever way we need to learn a particular thing. However, let us never be satisfied with any learning that doesn't include experience. God teaches us His ways "so that" we can experience them (Isaiah 2:3).