No such thing as an expert

"Nothing is sacred anymore."

Ironically, people must have been saying that 200 years ago. With the explosion of the Internet, there have been just as many inherent pitfalls as there have been benefits. Communication, commerce and efficiency are all common advantages when it comes to going digital. Unfortunately, the Internet is also intricately woven with misleading content, outright lies, and cyberspace traps. But you already knew that, right?

One of the biggest ongoing struggles facing the web today is establishing a standard for ethics and information distribution. While there are stories of predators, scams, and data theft, an unusually common annoyance is the self-proclaimed expert.

No one likes a know-it-all

From entertainment, to politics, the economy, or advertising (and the list goes on), no industry is safe. People everywhere on the Internet, and even in person, claim to have an expertise on some topic, but according to whose standards? Their own?

People are only experts on their own opinions. One may know a plethora about the medical field and have four Ph.Ds, but they will never know everything about the subject. Of course, the question becomes obvious; what is an expert? According to Webster's expertise: Expert: a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority.

Because every individual interprets "expert" differently, it would be more accurate for a person to say they have "very specific experience and knowledge in a particular field." Otherwise, there might as well be no credibility to the title whatsoever.

The Bottom Line

It's as though some people claim expertise the same way that Knights claimed a kingdom in medieval England - by force, and mostly without the consent of others.

Love or hate what you have read, please leave a comment or feel free to send me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com!