How to become an expert.
Seems the above statement should be a question until we get clear on what it means to be an expert.
I remember hearing a formula for so many hours of practice at a specific activity and then one becomes an expert. Where the weeds get thick is when this activity gets a label which implies one thing but in practice is nowhere near what’s been promised. One example that the internet loves to poke fun at is martial arts, when someone gets labeled a grand master black belt but their particular art is deemed ineffective in the street or in MMA, often dubbed Bullshido.
How to discern who is an expert? Are credentials essential? Does it matter who the credentialing organization is or who funds them? What’s the lay person’s litmus test?
The Tools For Surfing The Waves of Life course gives us the foundation to discern and decide what’s most likely true and the best decision we can make.
In the below video I explain the modern way one can become an expert:
For me step one is find the critics and ask what their specific beef is, ask them to steel man the other person’s claims. If the critic can calmly explain multiple sides of the claim that is a sign I need to hear them out. Then I go back to the expert with the criticism and ask them to explain why they are an expert and to prove their claims. Usually one side looses their mind and retorts with angry logical fallacies or ignores the questions altogether, and to me this is a sign I need to be skeptical and take a deep long look at any claims they make before believing them.
