Understanding > Knowledge
It's that simple.
Deadlines > Ideals.
> In theory, theory and reality are the same.
> In reality, they're different.
The New Grad had knowledge. The Senior Dev had Wisdom.
Wisdom > Knowledge.
Put another way, knowledge is the nodes. Understanding is grasping the connections. Understanding is the higher power. Understanding is where the magic happens.
Wisdom? Wisdom is next level understanding. It's the maturity of developing connection within the connections.
Having an intricate understanding how things are connected, doesn't necessarily mean that one feels compelled to make it better.
Sometimes, "understanding" actually begets a cynical form of apathy. The whole world is chaotic and full of holes and injustices, so why bother trying to do the right thing, if it won't make a difference in the "big picture"?
Sometimes, knowledge (of your corner of the graph) with a hefty dose of misunderstanding (of the nodes and edges you're about to be traipsing down) is what's needed to most successfully face the challenges at hand. One name for this is "idealism", but without the negative connotation it is sometimes shipped in.
This is more what I was getting at with the whole knowledge + inexperience bit, if this makes sense.