Just what exactly makes someone an expert in something?

I personally think that the current definition of what being an expert is happens is wrong. This is the definition from www.dictionary.com

3.
possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often followed 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.

dictionary.reference.com...

Anyone can be an expert by knowing about a subject inside and out. What I think separates experts from non-experts is their level of knowledge and their level of experience about the subject that they possess. Anyone therefore can become an expert. An expert isn't someone that is handed down a piece of paper that says that they have a BA or a PHD, or something. It has to be someone that has done something or knows about a lot about something.

In your opinion-- what separates the experts from the non experts in this world?

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I know several thousand NWO/Illuminati that became experts after watching DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. They're all on this forum.

Seriously though, the term expert is thrown around way too much in my opinion. Take a guy who has difficulty articulating his thoughts. He's read every single book on the subject of American History. He has a passion for it and loves learning. Now, take another guy with charisma and charm. He has only a basic knowledge of American History. But he's a good, pardon the term, bullsh**r. Most people would call the guy with charisma and charm the expert.

I remember watching Ancient Aliens and David Wilcock was one of the experts. David Wilcock is a new age speaker. He doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge on the UFO/alien phenomena. But he's got charisma.

Man, I'm way overthinking this. I need to go to sleep.

The Air Force Academic Instructor School at Maxwell AFB AL (Air University) defines an expert as anyone who is more than 25 miles from home. This is sometimes very true when applied to different fields. I hope this helps and my best,

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Explanation: S&F!

Personal Disclosure: An accident that they survive and learn from!

Edited to add: In one word... SCARS!

P.S. OL is not an expert!

I know a lot of 'what makes an expert' seems to deal with time spent in college. Personally, however, I like to believe that hands-on time with the job/skill seems to provide most of the practice. I think it's a bunch og hogwash that people need to tote around a piece of paper to be an "expert". Though, from a seperate perspective, I DO also understand that research in subjects/jobs/skills can help add to your performance which I think it where college comes into play the most. So, it's a tough call, but I'm going with hands-on experience in my own opinion.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

I completely agree...

Though, some will say.. Hours and hours of study. I think, personaly, that every person on earth has some degree of profesion (a person that professes) in anything that they hold interest in. I might not be a geologist, but I can see by observing, the many ways the earth might create such beauty. Of course I know there is more to it than that, but just as an example.

It's like looking at something or thinking about a cituation one day and thinking... "this is too easy to figure out, and it's obvious, yet we pay people tons of money with a degree to tell us things that we sometimes already know because of our own interest in the matter".

I've often wondered this very thing. Why must we have profesionals?

Certain skills require an education though and countless hours of study. I wouldnt want a psychologist doing heart surgery on me.

I think an expert is someone who has dedicated their lives to one very specific topic. Where my father used to work there was a guy that was an expert in helicopter transmissions, that is all he ever worked on and all he every did. He could sit there for hours and tell you why engineers used a certain metal or what the correct gear ratio should be... he was sometimes flown around the country because everyone knew him as the goto guy for helicopter transmissions.

having a multitude of degrees dosnt help, there are some experts that teach themselves and have built niches out of certain things. As a general rule, the more you know about one specific topic, the more you get paid. If you study an old programing language and know absolutely everything about it, someone somewhere will pay big bucks for you.

The experience of something, but by experience I mean, the time you spend in this subject and your knowledge of it. An expert is a person who has done a thing many many times and knows it inside and outside.

I have been asking myself that same question as it applies here on ATS.
I see many people with ATS subject matter expert tags.
Who or how is that determined?
Anybody know?

What makes an expert?

The excessive use of polysyllabic words and the general appearance that you know what the hell you are talking about.
A certain level of arrogance will also help to cement the image potrayed.

Plus horn-rimmed glasses, pipes and a smoking jacket.
@#%$ love smoking jackets.

Looking at half the posts on ATS, I'd have to say that the answer to your question appears to be: Wikipedia and google.

10,000 Hours of practical hands on experience in a particular usually results in an individual having expertise in that field.

This does not include professional education such as university, but actual practical experience. This is assuming all things are equal and individual is average of higher intelligence and ability.

1)Experience with most "situations" in a field of study.
2)the ability to react or improvise whatever the situation.
3)to a lesser extent that the first 2. the ability to zone out and participate in your field expertly without conscious thought. (usually the more physical fields)

just my opinion

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
I personally think that the current definition of what being an expert is happens is wrong. This is the definition from www.dictionary.com

3.
possessing special skill or knowledge; trained by practice; skillful or skilled (often followed 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.

Anyone can be an expert by knowing about a subject inside and out. What I think separates experts from non-experts is their level of knowledge and their level of experience about the subject that they possess. Anyone therefore can become an expert.

Yes. But how does that contradict the dictionary entry? The dictionary says someone possessing special skill or knowledge, trained by practice, and you're saying having special skill or knowledge, trained by practice (experience).

What's the difference???
FYI the Oxford English Dictionary lists in the noun form

1. One who is expert or has gained skill from experience.
2. a. One whose special knowledge or skill causes him to be regarded as an authority; a specialist.

In 1, they're using expert as an adjective as well, so let's look at that one.

Experienced (in), having experience (of).
Having tested, having had experience of.
Trained by experience or practice, skilled, skilful.
Tried, proved by experience.

Are any of these definitions at odds with your own?

If so, how?

reply to post by JoshNorton


Obviously the OP's an expert lexographer.

I'd just say it means you don't suck enough at something but that's my own layman's opinion.

-Non

Originally posted by ElGatoLoco0698
reply to post by Frankidealist35

 

I remember watching Ancient Aliens and David Wilcock was one of the experts. David Wilcock is a new age speaker. He doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge on the UFO/alien phenomena. But he's got charisma.

David Wilcox is an expert alright. And expert on sizing up the market and finding his weird little niche in it. He's also an expert on self-promotion. Most of those guys (and women) are. They're carnies without the carnival - although some of them sure bring the carnival experience around with them. Frankly, I don't know where they get the brass it must take to look someone straight in the eye and tell them that you just got back from a portal junket to Saturn or that Jesus took you on a VIP tour of Heaven and Hell last night so that you'd have ripping new material for your next book.

I can deal with presenting something unusual, or even unpopular, but I don't know how the David Wilcoxes of the world do what it is that they do.

To me, and expert is someone who either has devoted his/her life to a very specific subject (more than 20 years, at least, so that kinda excludes any 25 yr olds from being experts of this sort) or is someone who has originated a specific theory or field of discovery, and has been able to successfully relate it to the rest of what is obviusly real and tangible to that person and to the rest of the human race. In other words, insanity and delusion are not forms or expressions of expertise.

I love when a person announces that they've spent "10 years on a wordwide pilgrimage..." and that this makes them an expert on whatever timeless mystery it is that they're pontificating about. I don't know. There's something almost precious about that kind of naivete. Like a 12 yr old blues guitarist. I guess I don't believe in unlearned knowledge or knowledge that lacks decades of application and reflection.