Its also only as valuable as to where its applicable.
People with experience on the Jedi path is where I would go to be a Jedi.
Instead of say, a brick mason.
Time in on any given path, should, though not always, translate to experience path.
A master mason has been doing that job for a long time to become so.
It shows that it doesn't matter how long you've played as much as what you do with the time you have as to how good a guitarist you will be. Good consistent disciplined practice within 5 years always comes to show more results than someone who is much more casual a player over the span of 10.
Actually, it shows that it does matter how long you have played, just that commitment and consistency will win out over not being so.
In BJJ you can see where you can beat talent with hard work, but, at the same time, you, and I speak of myself, I have to actually put more hours in on the mat to do so.
Everyone always asks how you get better at BJJ when they first start.
Mat time, mat time, mat time.
So sure, quality of practice matters, but in most any case of learning something and becoming skilled in it, you have to have a certain amount of quantity.
Combine the two and you have wisdom, and mastery of said endeavor.
The fact that there may be someone better in a shorter amount of time does not change this, and when speaking of years, or lifetime practices, you better be putting in all the time you can regardless.
Whether your doing it five or ten years, if you stop, no matter how good you were, all skills are perishable.
Then, since you brought up teaching, there is also that part of it.
They may be "better" players, but not necessarily teachers, as that takes time to learn, and I have not seen that accelerated regardless of how fast a skill is picked up.
So, time in matters I think, in also ones ability to teach and pass on there knowledge.
