I appreciate humility, but all of this posturing and fear at being labeled an "expert" is misguided in my opinion. It's not heresy to call yourself an expert, or better yet, to accept the title as recognized by others. I am not an expert auto mechanic. I dabble at it as necessary. I know experts and appreciate their special knowledge in auto mechanics. However, I am an expert at surveying. In twenty (plus) years of experience, education and self study I have accumulated specific knowledge required to practice land surveying. It's not a statement of superiority over anyone else, only a distinction. I'm not an expert at many, many things. I am an expert at surveying. This doesn't mean I don't have more to learn, or can't advance. There are many things left for me to master to continue to excel.
The 10,000 hour rulers
> .... when a fool points out thier fault.....
Half my life's in books' written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
-Steven Tyler
I took up telemark skiing in my mid thirties. Sucked at it at first but after years of practice I've gotten pretty good. At one point I was screaming down the mountain with my hair on fire and thought to myself, 'I am sooo good, I'm an expert!'. At the very moment that thought entered my mind, I caught a ski tip and sailed off into space at a tremendous velocity. Helmet saved me from major brain damage but not a concussion. The moment I begin to think I'm an expert, I need to be aware the universe may seek to humble me. When it comes to surveying, I'm very good at what I do and those around me would call me an expert, but I know as good as I may think I am, I can still screw up.
Been at it about 45 yrs now - including summers as a kid with Dad. I learn something new almost every day (often relating to how much I don't know!). I think I'm an expert about a few things but wise enough to know I'm not...
One local saying covers it...
Around here we call it "One year of experience, 15 times". Some folks never move beyond the basics. Other can't be held back by circumstance...
The 10,000 hour rulers
> > I never took vacations. They made me do it just to be square with the hr people.
> > I'd still come into or call into the office. Minimum I'd just call in from where ever me and my girl went.
>
> We saw what happened when Dr. Sheldon Cooper was forced to take time off 😉 (I dig that episode).
>
> There can though be a point where one becomes so blinded by thier own brilliant light that they overlook non-technical details that can do more potential harm in an instant than years of accumulated expert ptractice, innnovation, or authority... and a sure sign of that pitfall is how ballistic they go when a fool points out thier fault. (No slam on said Dr. Cooper)
Ok Smarty! 🙂
For 25. What is Sheldon's middle name? [should be easy]
For a Thousand: what is that thing that they have on the post heading to backrooms?
On the left hand side as they leave the living room.
The 10,000 hour rulers
It's a fuse board.
I would absolutely agree to being fallible. I don't think that disqualifies you from being an expert. Hopefully as an expert you have learned to recognize, trap, mitigate, etc, the effects of errors in your field of expertise. A novice wouldn't know where to even look.
