Of course! I don't see how anyone could expect to excel at a craft without also studying the work of others.

This is where AI concerns me for people who are juniors in their field (software or otherwise). You get quick answers which don't help with learning, and it's very easy to never read the code. It's like a very tempting drug that stunts growth but feels like progress.

Obviously yes, how can you design good systems without studying the systems created by others?