American Expertitis

A great epidemic is sweeping the nation and the disease is expertitis. The disease is spreading and these experts are taking over the nations like an army of zombies out to hypnotize us with their expertise and knowledge on their personal topics. One of the most dangerous strains of expertitis are those inflicted as credit card experts, for it is their delusion that they can be experts on a subject that is constantly changing ; interest rates, fees and regulations and not to mention be experts on a subject that exploits consumers. I try to make a habit of reading articles written about credit cards, debt, etc, but it has become so tedious because every Jane, Dick and Harry expert are preaching the exact same thing. And the funny part is-with new credit card legislation all their expertise is going to go down the toilet. Their expertise will be superfluous.

Sarcasm aside, the one thing I have learned in my life in my quest for knowledge is the more I learn, the less I know. And in the search for answers, I only come up with more questions. The concern with experts is to pronounce yourself an expert, you are in a sense saying you have learned all you need to know and you have sadly reached the extent of your knowledge. Some, in historical times may have been expert map makers and expressed with great authority and expertise that the world was flat. Those experts were wrong when they learned many great explorers did not fall off the earth upon discovering America. We need to be careful in declaring we have all the answers, because once proven wrong the expert turns to fool.

We should be reminded that it was a nation of financial experts who got us into this financial crisis, and many with a severe infliction of expertitis are still trying to give us their opinions and ideas on how to overcome a crisis they indeed created. I think today, instead proclaiming all knowledgeable, maybe we all ask more questions and accept the answers. I watched a documentary a few day ago when the writer/director said in the quest for knowledge you need to prepare yourself for what you might learn. The knowledge you gain may be very different front what was expected.

I will never deny someone’s knowledge and experience, but perhaps it is better with think of ourselves as students, because if we don’t we will constantly remain static and never growing and that is detrimental to an individual, people and a nation. We owe it to ourselves to open our minds with the knowledge we all know very little and what we know today, may be different tomorrow.