

The Tyranny of Experts - codexjourneys
http://codexjourneys.com/tyranny-experts/

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thaumaturgy
> _If you’re not recognized as an expert by another team of experts, it’s
> difficult to reach an audience. This is true even if you really are an
> expert._

This can be simplified to, "It's difficult to reach an audience." The meaning
is exactly the same.

> _Leonardo da Vinci_

Was an expert in his fields at the time. He spent many many hours studying
anatomy and nature.

> _Galileo_

Also an expert.

> _Einstein_

Probably the most over-used and incorrect example used by people who want to
trot out the "lone under-appreciated genius" trope. The whole "patent clerk
revolutionizes physics" notion is peculiarly attractive to western culture.
Unfortunately, the actual truth is, "brilliant man who attended university,
diligently studied the hardest mathematics of the day, and took a job while he
spent years working on just a couple of problems in one field."

> _More often, academics seem to be rewarded for incremental breakthroughs,
> not out-of-paradigm thinking._

Subject hobbyists consistently underestimate the value of incremental
improvement in science. Most of scientific and technological progress comes in
the way of incremental improvements. "Great leaps" usually only happen after a
sufficient number of incremental improvements have made them possible.

> _But ridicule has a higher volume today_

You're not likely to be thrown in prison for believing something contrary to
the religious faith of the day, like Galileo was. Who cares what happens on
social media?

> _It’s a tough choice: Even if you’re right, you may be ridiculed and
> discredited_

That's why you have to do the work to prove you're right, instead of just
claiming you are and then being unhappy when other people challenge your
notions.

There is a real danger in counting yourself among the persecuted and reading
only casually about historical heroes of scientific and technological
progress. You can end up with a very distorted view of how progress works.

~~~
codexjourneys
>> Leonardo da Vinci

>Was an expert in his fields at the time. He spent many many hours studying
anatomy and nature.

Yes, but he didn't have an advanced degree in those fields. And he didn't need
one. That was more my point (which perhaps I could have made more clearly): We
use a lot of over-credentialing and job-titling to filter who is taken
seriously in contributing to certain fields, especially in the sciences. Other
fields, like software development or entrepreneurship, have much lower
barriers to entry and see more disruptive innovation and change, which leads
to faster progress.

Having spent about 9 years becoming an expert in risk management, I have
credentials, but they have very little to do with my actual ability to do the
job or not. And having too many people with similar backgrounds in a room (or
an industry) can lead to insular thinking.

Maybe I'll write a follow-up post about this. Thank you for your comment. And
an especially good point re: Galileo. You're right.

------
eternalban
I certainly treasure my periods of solitude. The closed lipped Oyster produces
the Pearl.

