•  
A+ A A-

When To Disagree With Apparent Experts

When To Disagree With Apparent Experts

My default position is to listen to and respect experts. I’m interested in substantiated theories, evidence, lived experience and other variations on a theme of people knowing what they are talking about. I am deeply uneasy at this ongoing thing in British politics and media of treating experts as intrinsically suspect, and treating uninformed opinion as being as valuable as expertise.

People pretending to be experts are amongst us. Check out their qualifications, and if you aren’t sure what those mean, a quick internet search will tell you if that’s even pertinent to the subject matter. Some experts do make the mistake of talking outside of their areas of knowledge and that can be problematic. Being an expert doesn’t make you good or kind, and a person can have a lot of qualifications and still have awful ideas. Jordan Peterson has qualifications.

Challenge experts when they haven’t given you enough information or been clear enough. Being an expert doesn’t automatically make a person a great communicator, so flagging up what needs a better explanation can be a very good idea. They should be able to direct you towards their evidence.

Check out their funding, if you can. You aren’t going to get objective facts on climate science from someone hired by the fossil fuels industry unless they’re turned whistleblower. One of the things to be alert to is speakers who come from Think Tanks – these often have impressive sounding names, but think tanks are often fronts for big business and people with obscene amounts of money. They often don’t represent the people they claim to. When people from think tanks make it into the media you don’t tend to get much information to frame what their think tank is really about, and all you have is the persuasive and impressive title to go on.

Lobby groups and pressure groups can sound like a source of expertise, but these can also be misleading. For example, The Tax Payers Alliance in the UK purports to be a grassroots movement representing the concerns of ordinary people. Its funding isn’t clear, and it campaigns for low taxation – which usually benefits the rich and corporations to the detriment of ordinary people. LGB Alliance claims to represent lesbian, gay and bisexual people but in a recent court case was obliged to admit it has a 7% lesbian membership having previously implied that it was a mostly lesbian organisation.

People can be experts in the theory of things and have no lived experience of it. This is a major issue for neurodivergent folk and for people living long term with illness and disability. It can often be the case that your lived experience is deeper than their ‘did a module at university’ experience. People who have looked at things from the outside should not be talking over people who actually have to live with the thing.

We cannot trust mainstream media to put experts into a context. When 99% of scientists agree on something, and we get to hear from one of them alongside one of the 1% who disagree, we’re being shown a really misleading picture. We can’t trust the people who tell us they are experts to be as good as they say they are, and we also can’t afford to trust the people who undermine the work of genuine experts. This is exhausting and demoralising at the best of times. It isn’t easy to navigate through all of this, although the simplest indicator I’ve found so far is that genuine experts tend to be cautious and tend not to speak in absolutes. Genuine experts point to their evidence rather than asserting that it exists.

Credit

druid life

About Nimue Brownp; Druid, author, dreamer, folk enthusiast, parent, wife to the most amazing artist -Tom Brown. Drinker of coffee, maker of puddings.
Credit: druidlife.wordpress.com

© 2022 crystalwind.ca. All rights reserved.

Pin It

Liked this article? Dive deeper into personal growth and wellness! Check out CrystalWind.ca for spiritual wisdom or explore AromaWorx.ca for natural well-being tips. Spread the positivity—share this with friends on their happiness journey!

Let’s Chat! Drop Your Thoughts Below! Scroll down to comment

Keep CrystalWind.ca free—your gift matters now!
Help us spread light today. Thank you, supporters!

Follow this blog

Featured Writers

Thank You for Visiting CrystalWind!

We’re honored to be part of your journey.

Share your thoughts at .

Let’s grow together!

The Crystal Wind Oracle App
Shatter Illusions – Gain Clarity Now!
Instant Access On:
Apple | Android | Amazon
New! 53-Card Deck for Deeper Wisdom

Imagine a world of inspiration and healing, free for all—made possible by YOU!
Donate Now—Ignite the Magic at CrystalWind.ca!

Support CrystalWind.ca Today!

Unlock Your Light: Join Lightworkers Worldwide on CrystalWind.ca!

Call For Writers

Call For Writers!

Follow Us!

Featured This Month

Page:

Birth Totem - Woodpecker

Birth Totem - Woodpecker

Birth Totem Woodpecker Birth dates: June 21 - July 21 Read more

Strong Sun Moon

Strong Sun Moon

Flicker – Carnelian Agate – Wild Rose – Pink June 21 – July 22 Read more

Cancer

Cancer

CANCER Jun 21 - Jul 22 Read more

Lammas

Lammas

Lammas Ritual Celebrated August 1st. Lammas is also known as Lughnasadh, La... Read more

Abalone Shell

Abalone Shell

Echos Of The Ancestors Abalone strengthens the structure of the body and th... Read more

Lugh - Celtic God Of The Sun

Lugh - Celtic God Of The Sun

The god Lugh was worshiped in Ireland as a deity of the sun. This connection... Read more

Cancer Mythology

Cancer Mythology

The Hidden Myth Behind the Zodiac Sign Had the Scriptures of Delphi never b... Read more

Egyptian Zodiac/Astrology

Egyptian Zodiac/Astrology

Egyptian astrology was one of the earliest forms of astrology. The Egyptians w... Read more

Lammas by The Hedgewitch

Lammas by The Hedgewitch

Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discer... Read more

The Oak Tree - June 10th - July 7th

The Oak Tree - June 10th - July 7th

Summer Solstice ( Alban Hefin ) Read more

Sun in Cancer

Sun in Cancer

An Overview of Sun Sign Characteristics for Cancer Read more

Wild Rose

Wild Rose

Wild Rose Fills your life with soft romance. Gender: Feminine Planet: Venus... Read more

Calcite

Calcite

The Cleansing Stone Calcite is a powerful amplifier and cleanser of energy.... Read more

Chalcedony

Chalcedony

The Stone Of Orators Chalcedony was very popular as a decorative stone in ant... Read more

Moonstone

Moonstone

Moonstone is one of the best stones for bringing emotional calm and stability,... Read more

X

Right Click

No right click