Everyone’s an Expert

I hate the word ‘expert’.

It didn’t always used to be this way. Now, everyone’s throwing around this term, and, like most overused words, it has lost it’s meaning.

These days, everyone’s an expert on something. Social media, writing, television. In fact, I do know some people who qualify to call themselves experts, but they are few and far between.

An expert is defined as a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field; specialist; authority.

Look at yourself. Do you really qualify as an expert? My dad studies WWII as a hobby. He knows more about the European theater than anyone I have ever met. He can identify tanks by their tread marks (okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration). The point is: if you asked him, he would deny any expertise. Here’s where we come to the weird thing about those who attain knowledge.

They (we?) realize that the more you learn, the less you know.

I work in social media. I read Mashable, Read Write Web, Web Pro News everyday. While I have learned a lot from these people, this knowledge does not make me an expert. Being the one writing for them might.

With something like social media, the field is constantly changing. Unless you are on top of it everyday, developing strategy and implementing it, you can’t rightfully call yourself an expert.

It’s hard to be an expert. This isn’t something that should be taken so lightly. The true experts of the world need to take back that word.

Better yet, invent a word that means the same thing that hasn’t been ruined.

Everyone’s a norpluck.