Expert vs. Experience

Or, Education vs. Practice.

Or, Demanding Respect vs. Warranted Respect

There are a few words that don’t resonate with me lately. The current one I have a hang-up with is EXPERT.

It’s a word that I’ve ignored all my life, it never stood out, never commanded attention, and for it to suddenly rear its head as something I need to have an opinion about, is rather odd. I think I accepted it as a REAL thing for a long time, but in recent years I question so much, and I no longer hand over cred (when told to) so quickly. Basically, I no longer believe in the word the way I used to.

Life is about learning, we start learning from the minute we are born, and we never stop until our brain or body give out. If this whole life is spent learning, and we are so capable of learning, why do we have the word Expert?

Can anyone ever really be an Expert?

With so much ‘online education’ happening through ‘sharing’ my illusions of our wonderful world have been falling apart. With that, I have come to the realization that nobody knows everything about anything.

I speak about the vast majority of people. If somebody out there does know everything about something, they do not nullify this post, they just aren’t included in what I speak of. :D

Each of us reaches a point in our life where the saying “The more I learn, the less I know” becomes true. For some, it’s when they are young, for others when they are old, but I hope that each of us at some point totally gets that learning is endless…

What makes an Expert? Lots of things yes, but the general consensus is that an expert of ______ has spent much time studying said subject they are an expert on. That study time turns into a piece of paper equating proof the time has been put in, and that paper hands over the Title: Expert.

What about experience? If a person does not go to school to be told how to do something, or does not receive a piece of paper equating to proof, are they an Expert? If time is spent on practice, on actual hands-on effort, are they an Expert?

What if someone gets really good at their job, the handiwork, the communication, the whatever, if they did not go to school to be so amazing at it, are they an Expert?
Let’s say you answered yes.

Does this being an expert at whatever mean that people will want to listen to this person speak? Will it make people want to give respect to the person? Does ALL “expertise” equate to respect?
Let’s say you answered no.
We seem to have this invisible rule that “Experts” also have letters following their name; most commonly P, h, and D.
I want to throw out the question: If there are NO experts, OR anyone COULD BE an expert, does the HOW matter?

I suggest that we all consider far more Respect should be dished out among us… whether or not the word Expert exists, whether or not anyone IS an expert.

Many people have not put in the Classical Education (paper) time, instead they’ve put in the Learning (actual effort) time.

THESE people, the ones who know so much through hard work outside of a classroom, are the ones I speak of. Whether or not they fall under the typical definition of “Expert”, they should definitely have the Respect of one.

Lets be less labeling/defining,

and more

acknowledging/respecting.