Experts are merely “drips under pressure” ?
Friend Fraser shared this with me a while back.
Isn’t it interesting that at certain times of our lives we place ourselves in the hands of an “expert”. These highly skilled individuals may have more knowledge, practice, and experience that we do with what they are an “expert” in, but, does it mean we should give up our choices? Should we not be responsible for the outcome, what ever it is?
Should we not be the ones making the final decision? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t heed what we are told. I am not saying that we shouldn’t go along with their suggestion. Keep in mind it is their opinion, albeit very experienced, it is still an opinion. I had a good friend tell me that opinions are only worth what you value in them. He said that everyone has an opinion on anything and everything.
I’ve found out over the years that he is 100% correct. The opinion may be correct or not….but it is still an opinion. In the realm of experts a gentleman I worked with told me to never call him an expert at anything.
I asked him why and this was his response. “Let’s break down the word expert. Ex is a has been like an ex-wife, ex-boyfriend, ex-boss. A spert is a drip under pressure. So please never call me a has been drip under pressure.”
Here’s what a few others have to say about experts in their field: “An economist is a man that can tell you . . . what can happen under any given condition, and his guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s too.” - Will Rogers
“If stock market experts were so expert, they would be buying stock, not selling advice.” - Norman Augustine
We have all heard the jokes/stories about lawyers, bosses….place name of your profession here. Remember through all the jokes, innuendos, at half truths you’ve got to just smile. Smiling with you … :o)
So this week…let’s be the “drips under pressure”.
Kirk Out
March 24th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I enjoyed your article and it brought back some fun time of the past. I worked with “Joe” at Eastman Kodak for many years back in the mid-eighties. He always said an expert is a “has been drip, under pressure” but he also had one more for a word you also used - “innuendo”. Joe was of Italian descent and loved to let you know it. He had many funny half truths but one of his favorites was innuendo — an Italian Suppository.
March 25th, 2008 at 9:01 am
As I started to read this the first reflection I had was a recent story about an ‘expert’ plastic surgeon who some rather greedy, vain, and wealthy/famous people decided to trust as he would restore their youthfulness but instead injected a low grade silicone automobile lubricant into their face and caused major problems. Wow, there’s a learning experience for kids and adults, not only about who you consider an expert but more so on the stress we create regarding our looks.
March 26th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Where is the “s” in “expert?”
I cheerfully disagree with your prejudice of the word.
I am a certified Jack of All Trades, Master of None, and I personally vouch for the value of experience as the only reason to pay for the services of someone who knows what they are doing, because they have done it so many times in the past.
My uncle once said to me, “Experience is the accumulation of mistakes that cost money. Repeated mistakes cost more and more money until the lesson is learned. The expert makes the mistake once; clients pay the expert and avoid the same mistake.”
The services of a bona-fide expert are worth more than the cost of the mistakes avoided:
• translator
• accountant
• attorney
• electrician
• exterminator
• pilot
• parachute packer.
Otherwise, it is a ripoff.
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Drew, the 19th century dates back to 1801. There was language then that is different now. The word “expert” meaning back then might match that of today, but it is not the origin of the word. Which is the subject of the article. We also leave out the “s” when we tack on a prefix like “ex” when we can achieve the same sound without it. Otherwise the “s” would be silent. Just another example of words in common use getting used improperly, but as long as we all agree to use it in that context we’ll avoid confusion. We need “drips under pressure” like you to make everyday life possible.