> It helped me realize that simply 'knowing' something intellectually can still starve one of the full picture
Exactly, but this is a common issue for many things. Most historical movies/books are completely wrong about what they want to portray because they cannot grasp the reality of "being there" at the time they take place - merely putting 21st century actors in older clothes on stage but missing how every single everyday life detail was actually different and how it should influence their perception of the reality around them.
> Most historical movies/books are completely wrong about what they want to portray
I think that's wrong: I think quite a lot are exactly right about what they want to portray; which is a particular vision emerging from the creators perception of the subject matter that speaks to the present audience.
Exactly, but this is a common issue for many things. Most historical movies/books are completely wrong about what they want to portray because they cannot grasp the reality of "being there" at the time they take place - merely putting 21st century actors in older clothes on stage but missing how every single everyday life detail was actually different and how it should influence their perception of the reality around them.