How To Even…Be an Expert

By Michael Gushue & CL Bledsoe

Here’s a secret: nobody knows anything about anything. Not even your mom. I know, it’s shocking. It’s okay to take a moment, have some chamomile tea and a scone, and process. You good? Okay, let’s press on.

Take any topic. Your personal experience of that topic is filtered through your own biases and selective experience. Maybe you read something about it, or saw something on TV, or your dog started talking to you. These are just more filtered accounts. Someone else might have a completely different perspective that contradicts yours. Their perspective is based on their own experiences, their own reading and interactions with others. Are they wrong, though?

Yes. They are wrong. The key to being an expert has nothing to do with actual knowledge or experience with a particular topic. It has to do with four things:

1. Bravado
2. Lists
3. Keeping them wanting more.

Bravado

Let’s talk about Bravado. See that cheap joke up above there? Not only did we make it, but now we’re acting like it’s some profound life lesson by discussing it. AND YOU’RE STILL READING. We will sleep like babies, tonight, believe us. That’s Bravado in action, friends. Some people will say people are stupid without realizing they’ve…