How to be an expert

Expert

–noun

1.

a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority: a language expert.

2.

Military .

a.

the highest rating in rifle marksmanship, above that of marksman and sharpshooter.

b.

a person who has achieved such a rating.

–adjective

3.

possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often fol. by in  or at ): an expert driver; to be expert at driving a car.

4.

pertaining to, coming from, or characteristic of an expert: expert work; expert advice.

  

Source http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/expert

I approach this subject with some trepidation because I'm treating it with some free thought and who knows where that will lead. As much as I like to do a little research, I also like to "free think" and tap into some sub consciousness thereby hopefully finding some creativity in writing.

I'd been thinking in the car on the way home from work today "What is an expert?" I was led to thinking that it is somebody with some sort of formal qualification in a subject.  The modern world seems full of people who can produce certificates the study of a particular subject. 

Access to university appears much easier than it once was. Reports on school exams results if they are good get challenged by some that examination papers have been "dumbed down."

Studying has never really been a strong point for me. I didn't perform as well as I'd wished in exams at school due to panicking on the day and not being able to recall answers from my memory. I've no real formal "qualifications" as such.

I've come to the conclusion that to become an expert is not an end in itself. We all continue to gain knowledge and wisdom if we choose to as we continue through life. As I've gained wisdom through my own life through various experiences (some of them pretty painful) I sense I have something worth sharing to help others. I seen the results of that with some of the people I work to support. 

I think it is broadly acceptable to state that we are all experts to one degree or another. Being an expert is not a destination, it is a landmark on a continuous journey. To illustrate this, consider the following: -

Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean achieved 12 "perfect" 6.0 scores in their Bolero ice dance during the 1984 Winter Olympics. This was not an ending destination for them, but it was a landmark for them to go further. They did not put a ceiling on the achievement. I remember watching that Ice Dance and being as impressed as most people at how good it was. Arguably, there have many ice dances since then as good or better. The scoring system cannot be based on the same principals it was back in 1984. The bar has to be raised. And will be again and again in the future.

A person with less knowledge than another may consider the person with greater knowledge as an expert. This would be true in the perception of the person with less knowledge. 

So, we can all consider ourselves to be experts to a degree and take positive energy and esteem from that. 

• Take credit for the knowledge and wisdom that you have.
• Continue to seek greater knowledge and wisdom, thereby acknowledging expertise at each landmark.  
•  Being an expert is not necessarily an exclusive club.