Understanding "Expertise" In Reality

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

I think too many of us have this perspective that knowledge must be ‘absolute’ and expertise in a given field must be ‘complete’ in its nature.

What I mean by that is we believe being good at something and being able to speak to that expertise requires total command over that field. No questions, no doubts. Complete mastery.

That’s just not reality. Nor is it correct.

Yes, we should have confidence in our abilities and our understanding of our chosen domain, but the idea that we have additional room to learn and grow should be an accepted part of that understanding. We should never stop thinking of ourselves as students.

That certainly shouldn’t be a reason to have a crisis of confidence. It shouldn’t make us question ourselves and whether we are who we claim to be. 

It is that exact sense of humility that drives our growth. It forces us to rethink old, accepted paradigms and make sure we’re moving forward. 

It also dissuades us of the notion that we’ve ‘arrived’, which is, ultimately, poison to personal growth. 

It’s important to understand and accept this distinction - we can be good at what we do - and speak to that fact - and still have plenty of room to develop and grow.