(no subject)

[ewt]

What makes someone an expert on something? What distinguishes an expert from an amateur? I'm not just talking about careers here, but areas of interest as well. When is knowledge the only indicator of expertise, and when to skill and good judgement come in?

[Poll #838240]

Comments

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I didn't fill out the poll, because I couldn't figure out any way to do so.

First, I can think of myself as more expert than someone else in something, but the idea of rating myself as having an objective level of expertise that makes me "an expert" -- I understand the idea, but I have no idea how to measure myself. I guess, if I found someone who was considered an expert in something, and I found that I was better than that person was in that thing, then I must therefore also be an expert. But I have trouble seeing that in absolute terms, not in comparison with someone else.

There are things which other people think I'm expert at -- bartending, rhetoric, reading people's emotions -- but I don't know how good I am at any of them. I'm pretty good, sure, but expert? I dunno.