TatuICU
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I thought the two were mutually exclusive. So a person can be both?
What is the differene between an expert and a know-it-all?
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I thought the two were mutually exclusive. So a person can be both?
beandip4all
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Sure, why not? Take Napolean Bonaparte- he was arguably one of the most expert military leaders of all time. He created this unparalleled army which trounced through Europe, yet had too much hubris to listen to his advisers when his forces were wanning (know it all!) and was ultimately defeated.
A Recent example: JPM's "London Whale"- Bruno Iksil: Very brilliant derivatives trader. Basically thought he could sway markets with enough clout and hold a bad position long enough to double down and bluff his way out of it. Most likely too much of a "know it all" to listen to his risk management or compliance guys telling him to GTFO of those bad trades!
See also: any talking head, pundit or fundamentalist on any side/religion. Look at Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olberman, etc.
I would argue that confidence vs arrogance ebbs towards being a tad more mutually exclusive.
Bonus footage:
Jon Stewards epic takedown of "financial expert" & know it all Jim Cramer:
[youtube]FP3YyJz3HsU[/youtube]
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mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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And then there are consultants..
Robert Townsend said they are folks you pay to come help you, borrow your watch, write you a mediocre and obvious report for a high sum, then steal your watch.
Robert Townsend said they are folks you pay to come help you, borrow your watch, write you a mediocre and obvious report for a high sum, then steal your watch.
firetender
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It's in the delivery
The way to become an expert is to get a book published. This is what you'll find every publisher telling you when you start looking for one!
Perhaps it was more true in the past, when publishers took a risk and actually paid you an advance for the privilege of making money off your work. People believe having someone on the outside invest in you legitimizes what you publish.
Still, the perception remains; if you get something published, that means you have some expertise when all it's really saying is that you took the time to articulate something you know about. If what you say in print rings true, then people will flock to you. If you just sling BS, that will get picked up, too, and you'll die alone!
Ambulance Driver wrote a book about his experience in EMS. It rings true to most of us so beyond the fact he got published, he got believed. Then, he hit the blogosphere and made it quite clear he IS an expert in the field.
Rogue, although not having written a book has made his expertise clear in EMS by stating verifiable truths and backing them up with references and information.
But neither of them is a Know-it-all primarily because they don't jam their opinions down your throat. They state their cases as they see them, back them up with proof or illustrations and then challenge you to make up your own mind.
A Know-it-all doesn't leave anything up to you because he/she knows it all! So the difference, in my mind, is Know-it-alls show their stripes and lose the respect of rational and self-directed people. Experts are turned to for the wisdom they have gained from their experience.
How they present themselves and the information they've gathered over their lifetimes pretty much determines wheteher they're considered experts or know-it-alls.
Just to be clear, I'm not an expert in this, but I DO know a little!
The way to become an expert is to get a book published. This is what you'll find every publisher telling you when you start looking for one!
Perhaps it was more true in the past, when publishers took a risk and actually paid you an advance for the privilege of making money off your work. People believe having someone on the outside invest in you legitimizes what you publish.
Still, the perception remains; if you get something published, that means you have some expertise when all it's really saying is that you took the time to articulate something you know about. If what you say in print rings true, then people will flock to you. If you just sling BS, that will get picked up, too, and you'll die alone!
Ambulance Driver wrote a book about his experience in EMS. It rings true to most of us so beyond the fact he got published, he got believed. Then, he hit the blogosphere and made it quite clear he IS an expert in the field.
Rogue, although not having written a book has made his expertise clear in EMS by stating verifiable truths and backing them up with references and information.
But neither of them is a Know-it-all primarily because they don't jam their opinions down your throat. They state their cases as they see them, back them up with proof or illustrations and then challenge you to make up your own mind.
A Know-it-all doesn't leave anything up to you because he/she knows it all! So the difference, in my mind, is Know-it-alls show their stripes and lose the respect of rational and self-directed people. Experts are turned to for the wisdom they have gained from their experience.
How they present themselves and the information they've gathered over their lifetimes pretty much determines wheteher they're considered experts or know-it-alls.
Just to be clear, I'm not an expert in this, but I DO know a little!
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This what rings most true with me.
That and an expert is willing to share his or her knowledge in a manner that makes others want to learn. A know-it-all does not ask first, he or she just shoves it down your throat no matter the situation.
I think the difference often depends on whether you like the person providing the information, and how they deliver it. It's not necessarily the quality or correctness of the information being given.
EMS isn't an academic field. And as a result, I think people have a hard time looking objectively at an argument without getting emotionally involved. Most people don't like being told that they're wrong about something, and they often react negatively, even if the person providing new information is doing their best to be pleasant a friendly.
There's also a social hierarchy within EMS, and most of the time it's built on years of experience. If someone with 20 years of experience is told they're wrong about something they believe to be true by someone with 5 years of experience, their response is often to feel disrespected, sulk, and label that person a "know-it-all". They're less likely to turn around and say, "Hey, thanks for telling me a little about that, they didn't teach it when I went through medic school, and I just learned a lot from you. Thanks".
And there's something of a "Tall poppy syndrome", that if someone distinguishes themselves from the group as a whole, they're attacked. Someone with knowledge is often labelled as "thinking they're better than everyone else". They're essentially ad hominem'd so that the group as a whole can feel better about themselves.
EMS isn't an academic field. And as a result, I think people have a hard time looking objectively at an argument without getting emotionally involved. Most people don't like being told that they're wrong about something, and they often react negatively, even if the person providing new information is doing their best to be pleasant a friendly.
There's also a social hierarchy within EMS, and most of the time it's built on years of experience. If someone with 20 years of experience is told they're wrong about something they believe to be true by someone with 5 years of experience, their response is often to feel disrespected, sulk, and label that person a "know-it-all". They're less likely to turn around and say, "Hey, thanks for telling me a little about that, they didn't teach it when I went through medic school, and I just learned a lot from you. Thanks".
And there's something of a "Tall poppy syndrome", that if someone distinguishes themselves from the group as a whole, they're attacked. Someone with knowledge is often labelled as "thinking they're better than everyone else". They're essentially ad hominem'd so that the group as a whole can feel better about themselves.
I think a know it all is smug, ask questions and give answers for them at inappropriate times to display how intelligent they believe they are. Brownie points for when someone ask a question and they don't know the answer or if they make it up.
I think an expert could be a know it all, but gives answers when needed, and also is elegant about what they say and do.
In real life, I do pull off a know it all personality. When I first started, I used to act like I had the answer to everything. I believed that sharing about the things I was learning and doing would help me start discussion with other people and hopefully better both of us, and a lot of people frowned at me for doing that (whether my intentions were good or bad). A lot of times, I'd didn't have the answers for things when needed which also gave me that know it all personality. It's one thing I would redo in life if I could, not act like a know it all. Hopefully one day I'll be an expert and have answers when needed and not spit out things when nobody cares.
I think an expert could be a know it all, but gives answers when needed, and also is elegant about what they say and do.
In real life, I do pull off a know it all personality. When I first started, I used to act like I had the answer to everything. I believed that sharing about the things I was learning and doing would help me start discussion with other people and hopefully better both of us, and a lot of people frowned at me for doing that (whether my intentions were good or bad). A lot of times, I'd didn't have the answers for things when needed which also gave me that know it all personality. It's one thing I would redo in life if I could, not act like a know it all. Hopefully one day I'll be an expert and have answers when needed and not spit out things when nobody cares.