In a world where complexity in all matters is the norm,
we turn to experts to navigate what’s what.
But who are the experts?
To paraphrase Mark Twain, there are experts, “experts”,
and know-little braggarts.
How are we to tell who’s who?
For that, Virginia, we need experts.
They are everywhere.
Over the interwebs, under the radar, over the
airwaves, and under the table.
If almost everyone’s an expert, then hardly anyone is.
Which sends us back full circle and on an endless Möbius loop.
Go, figure. Better yet, know you’re unlikely to.
Me: an expert at diagnosing confusion.
Big question, indeed: To whom do we turn for expert advice? I guess it's a matter of experience, learning to discern who can be trusted, who is authentic, who truly knows.
ReplyDeletelol--I was shocked how everybody became an expert epidemiologist during covid :) The older I get, the more I trust the wisdom of my mother and grandmother. An apple a day! Chicken soup! Sunshine!
ReplyDeleteAs you say, when everyone becomes an expert then no one is. Now it seems people just choose to believe what feels good to them and reject everything else, truth be hanged. Thus the odious expression "my truth".
ReplyDeleteBefore I read a newspaper article on a controversial subject, I look at the name and credentials of the reporter to determine whether I can trust their objectivity. The link about mobius strips reminded me of a print by Escher that my parents owned, Upstairs, Downstairs.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like shampoo, toothpaste, bodywash, etc. Too many choices! How do we choose what's best? As I watch my kids parenting my grandkids, I'm thankful Google didn't exist when I was doing the same thing, mainly by instinct. Of course, I love Google when it's useful, but it's too much! The only thing I'm an expert on is my own life, and even that's not guaranteed:)
ReplyDeleteGlad to know where I can come when I'm confused. (smile)
ReplyDelete